Summarizing Vision Correction

Vision Correction Summary

• Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the inability to see distant objects and is corrected with a diverging lens to reduce power.
• Farsightedness, or hyperopia, is the inability to see close objects and is corrected with a converging lens to increase power.
• In myopia and hyperopia, the corrective lenses produce images at a distance that the person can see clearly—the far point and near point, respectively.

Glossary

nearsightedness

another term for myopia, a visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than being focused on the retina

myopia

a visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than being focused on the retina

far point

the object point imaged by the eye onto the retina in an unaccommodated eye

farsightedness

another term for hyperopia, the condition of an eye where incoming rays of light reach the retina before they converge into a focused image

hyperopia

the condition of an eye where incoming rays of light reach the retina before they converge into a focused image

near point

the point nearest the eye at which an object is accurately focused on the retina at full accommodation

astigmatism

the result of an inability of the cornea to properly focus an image onto the retina

laser vision correction

a medical procedure used to correct astigmatism and eyesight deficiencies such as myopia and hyperopia