Common Questions About Eye Problems

Our eyes are incredibly complex organs that bless us with one of the most valuable gifts imaginable: our sight. But with so many vital components, it is inevitable that things sometimes go wrong. This may be in the form of refractive errors such as long-sightedness, short-sightedness and astigmatism, or of conditions such as glaucoma and keratoconus.

In this article, we’ll be answering some common questions about these eye problems (and providing links where you can find more information). So, let’s start learning!

Common Questions About Myopia (Short-Sightedness)

What is myopia?

Myopia – also commonly known as short-sightedness – is the most common refractive error. It is estimated to affect around a third of people worldwide and evidence suggests the prevalence of myopia is on the rise.

In myopic patients, the cornea is slightly longer and flatter than usual. This results in light being focused short of the retina (the photosensitive layer at the back of the eye). As a result, while people with myopia can usually see objects clearly up close, their vision becomes blurred when focusing at a distance.

There are a number of forms of myopia, but the most common are physiological myopia, pathological myopia and acquired myopia.

Physiological myopia is a simple physical mismatch between the length of the eyeball and the focusing power of the lens and cornea. It is by far the most common form of myopia. Physiological myopia normally develops in children between the ages of five and ten and continues to worsen until the eye stops growing.

Pathological myopia is far less common and, whilst it begins as physiological myopia, it does not stabilise with age. Instead, the eye continues to enlarge at an abnormal rate. This can cause irreversible damage and degeneration to the eye causing visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses or other forms of vision correction.

Acquired myopia occurs after infancy – often because of uncontrolled diabetes or certain forms of cataracts.

For more information and to watch a video on this topic, click here.

How does Laser Eye Surgery help myopia?

Humans have been suffering from myopia throughout most (if not all) of history. The upside to this is the development of various solutions, the most common being glasses and contact lenses. However, perhaps the most significant solution to myopia has only been around for a few decades: Laser Eye Surgery. So, how does it work?

Laser Eye Surgery utilises laser technology to reshape the cornea. In the case of myopia, this means removing a pre-determined area of tissue to flatten the cornea, making it better able to focus light directly onto the retina as opposed to in front of it. This achieves the same outcomes as other corrective methods – only without the headache of wearing glasses and contacts!

To learn more about how Laser Eye Surgery corrects myopia, click here.

What are the alternatives to treating myopia?

As mentioned above, the most common way to correct myopia is with glasses and contact lenses. These options will usually be recommended in all but the most extreme forms of the error (prescriptions above -12.50 D). While Laser Eye Surgery is also a great option for correcting myopia, most clinics are only able to treat prescriptions up to -5.00D and -8.00 D. However, here at London Vision Clinic, we are able to treat prescriptions up to -10.0 D – and possibly beyond – thanks to our access to the most up-to-date Laser Eye Surgery technology and ability to carry our high-profile treatment.

In cases of extreme myopia – beyond -14.00 D – alternative treatments such as intraocular lenses may be recommended. Intraocular lenses can be applied in two ways. ICL surgery involves placing an artificial lens that has been specifically selected for your prescription in front of your natural lens. In Clear Lens Exchange (CLE), the intraocular lens replaces the eye’s natural lens. These are essentially “built-in” contact lenses.

To learn more about the alternatives for treating myopia, click here.

What Are London Vision Clinic’s Results With Myopic (Short-Sighted) Patients?

Based on an analysis of 1200 procedures and outcomes, 100% of our myopic patients with a prescription up to -12.00 D were able to achieve 20/40 distance vision – the visual acuity limit for driving in the UK. Furthermore, 96% of our patients were able to read line N.6. on the Jaeger eye chart – which is considered the equivalent of 20/20 vision for near sight.

To learn more about results for myopia at London Vision Clinic, click here.

Common Questions About Hyperopia (Long-Sightedness)

What is hyperopia?

Hyperopia – also known as long-sightedness or far-sightedness – is another common refractive error. It is essentially the opposite of myopia in that instead of being too steep, the cornea is shorter and flatter than it should be. This results in light being focused beyond the retina, causing blurred near vision. In contrast, hyperopic patients often have good distance vision.

Hyperopia is a fairly common refractive error, affecting around one in four people. The condition is often inherited and nearly all babies are born with hyperopia but this often resolves as they get older.

To learn more and to watch a video on this topic, click here.

How does Laser Eye Surgery help hyperopia?

Like myopia, hyperopia is most commonly corrected with the help of glasses and contact lenses. These solutions are often effective but can come with significant downsides. Thankfully, Laser Eye Surgery is now more accessible than ever before thanks to advancements in expertise and technology.

Laser Eye Surgery involves reshaping the cornea to better reflect light onto the retina at the back of the eye. This is achieved by using laser technology to remove a pre-determined area of corneal tissue, resulting a permanent changes to the eye. In many cases, this procedure completely removes the need for external visual aids, providing clear vision for years to come.

To learn more about hyperopia and how Laser Eye Surgery can help, click here.

What are the alternatives to treating hyperopia?

Unsurprisingly, glasses and contact lenses remain the most common solutions to hyperopia and other refractive errors. However, Laser Eye Surgery is increasingly becoming a more viable option for many people as suitability expands and treatment becomes more affordable. But what about in cases where Laser Eye Surgery isn’t an option?

This may be the case if you have an extremely high prescription, thin corneas, or dry eyes. Often ReLEx SMILE – an innovative new Laser Eye Surgery procedure – can address these issues; however, this is not always the case. Thankfully, there might still be alternative treatments available, including clear lens exchange and implantable collamer lens (ICL) surgery.

To learn more about these alternative treatments, click here.

Common Questions About Astigmatism

What is astigmatism?

In a healthy eye, the cornea – the outer layer of the eye that covers the pupil, iris, and lens – is spherical. However, in astigmatic eyes, the cornea has an irregular shape. For example, while a healthy cornea can be likened to a football, an astigmatic cornea more closely resembles a rugby ball; this is known as corneal astigmatism.

In some cases, it may be the lens that has an irregular shape – this is called lenticular astigmatism. In lenticular astigmatism, minor irregularities in the curvature of the lens produce small degrees of astigmatism despite the cornea being normal.

This abnormal shape affects how light is reflected into the eye, creating two points of focus on the retina meaning the eye cannot process a single, sharp image. As a result, people with astigmatism can suffer various degrees of vision distortion depending on the severity of their prescription.

Astigmatism can co-occur with other refractive errors such as myopia and hyperopia.

For more information and to watch a video on this topic, click here.

Common Questions About Presbyopia

What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia – also known as “old” or “ageing” eye – refers to deterioration associated with the natural ageing of the eyes. As we get older, the signs of ageing affect our eyes much like other parts of our bodies. The muscles responsible for focusing our vision begin to weaken, affecting our ability to focus on close-up objects.

As a result, presbyopia is often considered the deterioration of our ‘reading vision’, as performing close tasks becomes increasingly difficult. The signs of presbyopia typically become noticeable around middle age and worsen over time.

For more information and a video about presbyopia, click here.

How does Laser Eye Surgery help presbyopia?

For a long time, the only way to correct presbyopia was with reading glasses. However, ongoing innovations soon began to provide other options, including Laser Eye Surgery. PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision is a unique Laser Eye Surgery procedure that addresses vision impairment associated with presbyopia and removes the need for reading glasses for good.

PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision works by correcting one eye for mainly distance vision with a little near vision while the other eye is corrected mainly for near vision with a little distance vision. This is called the “blend zone”. This technique is generally well-tolerated in most patients, allowing the brain to create a clear picture at all distances.

For more information about PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision, click here.

What are the alternatives for improving reading vision?

For more information and a video on this topic, click here.

Common Questions About Other Eye Problems

Keratoconus is a genetic eye condition that affects the cornea causing severe astigmatism. This causes distorted vision as well as other symptoms, including an increased sensitivity to light, and eye redness or swelling that can get worse over time.

The cause of keratoconus is not fully understood, but it is often associated with eye allergies, excessive eye rubbing and connective tissue disorders (such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome). It is also believed to be genetic with around 1 in 10 people with keratoconus also having a parent with the condition.

As the condition progresses, the cornea becomes increasingly thinner and begins to bulge out into a cone-like shape, hence the name (keratoconus literally translates to “cornea cone”). In the early stages, keratoconus can be successfully managed with the help of glasses or contact lenses; however, as the condition worsens, these solutions become increasingly ineffective.

For more information about keratoconus and to watch a video on this topic, click here.

What are the treatment options for keratoconus?

While glasses and contact lenses can be helpful in the early stages of keratoconus, these eventually become ineffective. Thankfully, there are other treatment options available. This can include Intacs® prescription inserts – small plastic rings that stretch the cornea outwards, causing the cone in the central cornea to flatten.

A newer treatment known as cross-linking is now increasingly used. Cross-linking involves applying custom-made riboflavin eye drops to the cornea; these are then activated with UV light. It works by increasing bonds between collagen fibres in the eye, which act as anchors to help stabilise the cornea. This can prevent the cornea from bulging out more but cannot reverse the effects of keratoconus.

For more information on treatments for keratoconus, click here.

Cataracts are a common condition that develops as a natural part of the eye’s ageing process. As we get older, the proteins in the lenses of our eyes begin to break down and clump together. Over time, this clumping can cause the formation of a cataract – a cloudy obstruction in the lens. Eventually, cataracts can significantly affect your vision and, if left untreated, even lead to blindness.

Age-related cataracts are the most common; however, cataracts can also be:

Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases that cause damage to the optic nerve, which carries messages from the retina to the brain. Over time, damage to the optic nerve can cause significant vision impairment and, if left unmanaged, even blindness. Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness in the UK, behind cataracts.

The exact cause of glaucoma is unknown, however, it is usually associated with a build-up of fluids inside the eye which leads to increased internal eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP). Symptoms associated with this increased pressure often develop slowly, making glaucoma hard to recognise in its early stages.

There are four main types of glaucoma, though some are much rarer than others:

• Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG) – the most common type of glaucoma. It occurs when fluid in the eye is not able to drain as well as it should. There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the condition though patients eventually notice a loss of peripheral vision.
• Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma (PACG) – occurs when intraocular fluid cannot drain due to a variation in the angle of the eye’s anterior chamber. PACG can cause symptoms such as pain and redness in the eye; however, like POAG, symptoms often go unnoticed at first.
• Congenital Glaucoma – also known as childhood or infantile glaucoma, is a form of the disease that develops in babies and young children. It is often inherited and usually diagnosed within the first year of life.
• Secondary Glaucoma – called ‘secondary’ as it can occur due to a number of other primary conditions or factors, such as surgery, trauma or physical injury, inflammation, certain medications, and syndromes such as pseudo-exfoliation and pigment dispersion.

There is no cure for glaucoma, however, in some cases, medication or surgery can slow or prevent further vision loss associated with the condition.

For more information and to watch a video about glaucoma, click here.