You might notice that street signs look fuzzy until you drive right up to them, or maybe the words in your favorite book blur together after a few pages. These frustrating moments occur when light fails to focus where it belongs in your eye, but our team at Total Vision Golden Hills can help.
An updated prescription, determined during an eye exam, changes how light enters your eye to help you see those blurry details more clearly. This simple change brings the world back into sharp focus so you can navigate your day comfortably.
Key Takeaways
- Glasses bend light before it enters your eye so that it lands at the right spot on your retina.
- Prescriptions with a “minus” lens fix blurry distance sight.
- Prescriptions with a “plus” lens correct fuzzy close details.
- For those who need multiple prescriptions in one pair of lenses, multifocal options are available.
The Basics of Sight and Light Focus
What Is a Refractive Error?
Light bounces off objects around you before traveling through the cornea (the clear front surface of your eye) and into your eye. When everything works correctly, light lands on your retina, at the back of your eye. But when that light doesn’t bend correctly as it’s passing through the structures in your eye, it can land just in front of or behind your retina, causing what is called a refractive error.
That’s where an eye exam comes in. During a visit with an eye doctor, they can check your near and distance vision and see what type of prescription can help refocus that light, helping you see the world more clearly.
Glasses for Common Vision Issues
Lenses for Nearsightedness
Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, makes far-away objects look blurry. If you have myopia, you might struggle to read distant street signs or recognize faces across the street. Concave lenses in glasses are designed to spread out light rays before they enter your eye, so that distant objects look crisp again.
Lenses for Farsightedness
Hyperopia can make close objects look fuzzy and difficult to read. If you have farsightedness, you may have caught yourself holding menus or your phone at arm’s length to read them clearly. Convex lenses are designed to bring light rays together, helping light hit the retina in the right spot and bring near objects into focus.
Lenses for Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the cornea (the clear outer layer of the eye) has an uneven shape that scatters light in multiple directions rather than a single point. The result is that both near and distant objects look blurry or distorted. Special cylinder lenses bend light in a single direction to reduce scatter, helping you see clearly again.
Natural Vision Changes as You Age
What Is Presbyopia?
As you age, the lens inside your eye begins to lose flexibility. This natural change, called presbyopia, can make it hard for your eyes to see objects close by, resulting in the need to hold things at arm’s length in order to read them. Reading glasses can help by adding extra focus power at close distances, so you can enjoy a novel or read small text on your phone without getting a headache.
Progressive Lenses
You might need help seeing both far away and up close at the same time. Modern glasses can blend 3 different viewing zones into 1 convenient lens.
The top section helps you with distance, such as driving or watching a movie. The center section is for medium distances, like your computer screen, and the bottom section makes reading more comfortable.
One of the main benefits of progressives is that you don’t have to switch glasses throughout the day. You can go from doing work on your computer to glancing at your phone with the same pair of frames on.
Myopia Control for Children
Traditional Lenses vs Control Options
Myopia happens when the eye grows too long from front to back. The main difference between standard glasses and myopia control is that standard glasses are only designed to correct blurry sight, not help slow the eye’s growth.
On the other hand, there are specialized myopia control lenses that have been shown to help slow the progression of myopia in some children. You can ask our team about what option could work well for your family.
Signs You May Need a New Prescription
Common Symptoms
Even if you’re an adult, your vision can still change. Pay attention to these common signs that you may need a fresh prescription:
- Squinting to read signs or books
- Needing to hold your phone or a menu at arm’s distance to see
- Experiencing eye strain or headaches during or after reading, screen use, or other close-up work
If this sounds familiar, an eye doctor in San Jose can check your vision, track any changes in how well you see, and help find lenses to keep you seeing clearly and comfortably.
Schedule Your Next Appointment
Our team at Total Vision Golden Hills can help every member of your family enjoy clear sight. Whether you’re bringing your child in for their first eye exam or needing a new pair of glasses yourself, we would love to help. Schedule your next visit today.
