Reduction of vision
Deteriorating vision is something that affects many people. Your near or far vision can get worse and/or images can appear slightly distorted. We will determine the cause and the appropriate treatment for you.
Common forms of vision impairment include:
- Nearsightedness - You see objects that are nearby clearly, but distant objects are fuzzy.
- Farsightedness - You see distant objects better than objects nearby.
- Age-related farsightedness - From the age of 45, reading at close range becomes more difficult, because your lens has lost some of its flexibility.
- Cylindrical divergence or astigmatism - Distortion of the image.
Nearsightedness
- What is nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the condition whereby you see near objects clearly, but everything at a distance appears fuzzy. This is caused by a refractive error in the eye. Normally, the refraction of the cornea and the lens ensure that you have a sharp image of objects at a distance on your retina. If the shape of your eye is too long or the curve of your lens is too steep, you won’t get a sharp image of objects at a distance on your retina. People with nearsightedness need a correction with a minus power.
Nearsightedness is mostly an hereditary condition. If one of the parents has this condition, there is a higher chance that the child will also have myopia. A person who needs a prescription of -6 dioptres or more is said to have high myopia.
Nearsightedness generally develops between the ages of 6 and 12. It gradually increases as the eye grows and the length of the eye increases. Once a child has reached adulthood, the condition generally stabilizes. As a result of heavy use of screens (mobile phones, tablet, computer,…) nearsightedness in children has increased significantly in recent years.
• Slowing nearsightedness in children
For children, a good way of slowing down nearsightedness is the so-called 20-20-2 rule:
- After 20 minutes of steady work with objects up close (reading / tablet / smartphone / crafts),
- At least 20 seconds looking into the distance.
- At least 2 hours a day should be spent outside in the daylight.
In addition, you can insist that your child reads at a distance of at least 30 cm.
• Treatment of nearsightedness in children
In addition to slowing down nearsightedness in children, you can also treat it. A first step is the use of corrective lenses, whereby the eyes are supported with glasses of an appropriate prescription.
As a second step, atropine drops can be administered. The atropine will dilate the pupil and relax the eye’s ciliary muscle. Administer one drop in each eye of your child every day before going to sleep. If this still does not stabilise the condition, special eyeglasses can be prescribed.
If there is a high divergence, an operation may be considered (as of adulthood).
High myopia (-6 dioptres or more) may cause the retina to thin. After the age of 40, this can give rise to other problems, such as retinal detachment or macular degeneration. In case of high myopia, there is also a greater chance of developing cataracts or glaucoma.
- Treatment of nearsightedness
Your eye doctor can prescribe the appropriate glasses or contact lenses in order to correct your vision. As an adult, you can also opt to get rid of your glasses or contacts. At our eye centre, we offer different treatments available for this purpose, such as laser treatments, extra lens implants or a lens replacement. Together, we determine the most suitable treatment for you depending on the condition of your eyes, your own preferences and your life and work situation.
Farsightedness
- What is farsightedness?
Farsightedness, or hypermetropia, is the condition whereby your eyes can see distant objects clearly, but things close up appear fuzzy. This is caused by a refractive error in the eye. Normally, the refraction of the cornea and the lens ensure that you have a sharp image of objects nearby on your retina. If the shape of your eye is too short, you won’t get a sharp image of objects close up on your retina. If you are farsighted, you often have trouble reading and may get a headache as a result. As you get older, your distance vision may become fuzzy as well. People with farsightedness need a correction with a plus power.
- Treatment of farsightedness
You can opt to support your eyes with corrective glasses or contact lenses of the appropriate prescription.
As an adult, you can also opt to get rid of your glasses or contacts. At our eye centre, we offer different treatments available for this purpose, such as laser treatments, extra lens implants or a lens replacement. Together, we determine the most suitable treatment for you depending on the condition of your eyes, your own preferences and your life and work situation.
Age-related farsightedness
- What is age-related farsightedness?
Age-related farsightedness, or presbyopia, is the condition whereby your eyes can see distant objects clearly, but things close up appear fuzzy. In this case, you have difficulty reading without glasses. The reason is that as you get older, the flexibility and ability of your ocular lens to focus, decreases and therefore you have more difficulty seeing nearby objects clearly. This mostly begins after the age of 45 (or even earlier if you are farsighted).
- Treating age-related farsightedness
You can opt for the use of corrective lenses, whereby the eyes are supported with glasses of an appropriate prescription. A reading section can be added to glasses intended for distance vision or in special contact lenses.
You can also opt to get rid of your glasses or contacts. At our eye centre, we offer different treatments available for this purpose, such as extra lens implants or a lens replacement. Together, we determine the most suitable treatment for you depending on the condition of your eyes, your own preferences, and your life and work situation.
Astigmatism or imperfect curvature of the cornea or lens
- What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism, or imperfect curvature of the cornea or lens, means your eye is not perfectly round. For normal visual acuity, the cornea should have the same shape (curvature) in all directions (like a football). If you have astigmatism, then your cornea is curved more in one direction than the other (like a rugby ball). This causes a distorted image that can be compared to the image you see in a funfair mirror, which can make an object look very large, very small or very thin. If you have astigmatism, you can see less clearly both from a distance and nearby. Astigmatism often occurs in combination with near sightedness or farsightedness.
- The treatment of astigmatism
You can opt for the use of corrective lenses, whereby the eyes are supported with glasses of an appropriate prescription. A reading section can be added to glasses intended for distance vision or in special contact lenses.
You can also opt to get rid of your glasses or contacts. At our eye centre, we offer different treatments available for this purpose, such as laser treatments, extra lens implants or a lens replacement. Together, we determine the most suitable treatment for you depending on the condition of your eyes, your own preferences, and your life and work situation.
