Myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia: What are they?

Vision is an essential sense in our daily lives. Yet, it is rare to meet someone who does not experience any visual impairments at some point in their life. Among the most common are myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Understanding these visual abnormalities allows you to better correct them and adopt good habits to maintain your eye health.

Myopia: Seeing up close, but not far away

Myopia is a vision disorder in which the eye is too long or the cornea is too curved. As a result, light rays converge in front of the retina, blurring distance vision.

Common signs:

> Difficulty reading signs in the distance,
> Squinting to see better,
> Moving closer to screens or books,

Correction:

> Glasses or Contact Lenses,
> Refractive surgery (such as LASIK) in some cases.

Hyperopia: seeing far away, but not up close

Hyperopia is the opposite of myopia. The eye is too short or the cornea too flat, causing the image to form behind the retina.

Common signs:

> Eye strain when reading,
> Frequent headaches,
> Blurry near vision (and sometimes also distance vision depending on the severity).

Correction:

> Glasses or Contact Lenses,
> Surgery is possible in cases of severe hyperopia.

Astigmatism: Distorted Vision at All Distances

Astigmatism is caused by an irregularity in the curvature of the cornea or lens. Instead of being perfectly spherical, the surface of the eye is oval, like a rugby ball, which causes image distortion.

Common Signs:

> Blurry or distorted vision, both near and far,
> Difficulty distinguishing certain letters (e.g., H, M, N),
> Eyestrain

Correction:

> Glasses or Toric Contact Lenses,
> Appropriate refractive surgery.

Presbyopia: the natural aging of vision

Presbyopia is not a disease but a natural age-related phenomenon. It generally appears from the age of 40-45. The lens loses its flexibility and can no longer deform to focus up close.

Common signs:

> Needing to move text further away to read,
> Difficulty focusing up close,
> Eye fatigue at the end of the day.

Correction:

> Reading glasses or progressive lenses,
> Multifocal lenses,
> Specific surgery (less common).

These visual disorders are very common and often easy to correct. Regular follow-up with an ophthalmologist can detect these abnormalities early and maintain good vision. If you experience visual discomfort, don't wait: appropriate correction can significantly improve your daily comfort.