How Does LASIK Treat Different Eye Conditions?
Laser In-Situ Keratomileusis better known as LASIK is used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. LASIK can correct these conditions by gently re-shaping the cornea (the clear front portion of the eye), which allows light to enter the eye and focus on the retina (the back of your eye).
Nearsightedness- Back to top
Nearsightedness, which is also known as myopia, occurs when the eye is too long or the cornea is to steep compared to a normal eye. When this occurs, the image is focused at a point before the retina causing blurry vision. People who are nearsighted can see objects clearly nearby but objects in the distance are blurry. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes flatter which allows the image to be properly focused on the retina.
Farsightedness- Back to top
Farsightedness, which is also known as hyperopia, occurs when the cornea is too flat in relation with the eye compared to a normal eye. When this occurs, the image is focused at a point behind the retina causing blurry vision. People who are farsighted can see objects in the distance clearly but objects nearby are blurry. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes steeper which allows the image to be properly focused on the retina.
Astigmatism- Back to top
Astigmatism is when the eye does not have enough spherical shape compared to a normal eye. The shape makes it hard for the light rays to focus at a single point on the retina. There are multiple points where the image is focused and this causes blurry vision. With the LASIK treatment, the cornea becomes more spherical which allows the image to focus at one point on the retina. Astigmatism can be treated at the same time as nearsightedness or farsightedness is being treated.
Presbyopia - Back to top
Presbyopia is a condition that occurs in the middle years (about 40 to 45) and makes it difficult for people to see clearly up close. This happens because the crystalline lens (a transparent structure inside the eye) loses its flexibility. Presbyopia happens to most people at some point in their life and it can be corrected with the use of reading glasses or contact lenses.
Another technique to correct this is Monovision. This is when one eye is focused for distance and one eye is focused for near. The brain can adjust to interpret what each eye is seeing so the person can see both near and far. Monovision can be accomplished by using contact lenses or LASIK.
Normal Vision- Back to top
In a normal eye, light enters the eye through the cornea (the clear front portion of the eye) and passes through a crystalline lens (a transparent structure inside the eye) and then it is focused clearly on the retina (the back part of the eye). The brain interprets the information received from the retina as vision. The crystalline lens is able to accommodate to see objects nearby and in the distance.
