What is Vision Correction ?
It has been seen that one out of four teens requires vision correction. The three most common issues addressed in vision correction are nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The refractive surgery is the procedure by which vision can be corrected. Radial Keratotomy (RK) was the first ever incision refractive procedure. There are a number of options available that helps the those people who wears contact lenses or eyeglasses. These options can eliminate the dependence on wearing corrective eye lenses or glasses.
Vision Disorders
The cause of a vision disorder is the shape of the eyeball. Refracting is the process in which the eye lens bends the light in order to focus on an image onto the retina. Misshapen eye cannot refract the light correctly. This could result in the image being in front or behind the retina, or even due to multiple focal points. The eye muscles and the eyes natural shape plays a crucial role in the eye’s ability to focus on an object more clearly.
Vision disorders can be corrected done by using LASIK surgery. LASIK allows the eye to refract the light properly by focusing the image on the retina. The LASIK also corrects the shape of the eye.
Types of Vision Problems
The most common vision problems in childhood
- Lazy eye (amblyopia)
- Blurred vision (refractive errors)
- Crossed eyes (strabismus)
The most common vision problems in adults
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Blurred vision
- Cataract
- Glaucoma
- Age-related macular degeneration
Types of Vision Disorders
- Myopia
- Hyperopia
- Astigmatism
- Cataracts
- Fuch’s Dystrophy
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Amblyopia
- Computer Vision Syndrome
- Strabismus
- Ocular Migraines
- Herpes and the Eye
- Keratoconus
- Unequal Vision : Aniseikonia and Anisometropia
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Epithelial and Stromal Dystrophies
- Glaucoma
Laser Vision Correction
Also referred to as refractive surgery, laser vision correction is a hassle-free surgery that provides normal vision to many patients. The surgery modifies the shape of the cornea in order to improve the vision. Laser surgeries first reshapes the cornea by which the light travelling can be focused properly on the retina positioned in the back of the eye. The most common laser vision correction procedures are PRK and LASIK. LASIK (laser in-situ keratomileusis) is the most known surgery and is used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
Benefits of Laser Vision Correction
- No stitches or bandages are required.
- It provides a desired vision for the patients.
- The vision can be corrected either on the next day of LASIK procedure or immediately.
- The adjustments can be done years later to correct further vision after the LASIK procedure.
- The procedure eliminates the dependence on contact lenses or eyeglasses.
Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) Vision Correction
This type of eye laser surgery is performed to correct the vision problems from mild to moderate conditions of myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. In this procedure, reshaping of the cornea is done with the help of lasers. The laser delivers a beam of ultraviolet light on the surface of the cornea rather than beneath the cornea. The surgery is very effective in correcting the problem of nearsightedness and also eliminates the dependence on eye correcting glasses.
Double Vision (Diplopia) Correction
The simultaneous projection of two images of a single object is the problem of double vision. The patient could either see the two images of one object all the time or some time. The displacement could be diagonally, horizontally or vertically. The appearance of both vertical and horizontal lines that are seen as doubled is referred to as oblique separation (diagonal double displacement). There are two types of double vision- Monocular double vision which is a double vision in one eye and Binocular double vision which is a double vision in both eyes.
Causes of Double Vision
Cornea Problems : Cornea problems generally result in double vision in one eye. The double vision can be caused by abnormal surface of the eye that distorts the incoming light. There are several ways by which damage may happen –
- Double vision can be due to dryness of the cornea.
- Shingles or herpes zoster ate the cornea infections that may distort the cornea.
- The corneal scars may change the cornea by creating double vision.
Muscle Problem : An eye cannot move smoothly if the eye muscles of one eye are weak. Staring in directions that are managed by the weak muscles results in double vision. The weak muscles may result from a few causes –
- The thyroid condition that affects the eye muscles are Graves’ disease. The disease generally results in vertical diplopia where one image of the object is on top of another.
- The autoimmune illness which obstructs the stimulation of nerve muscles in the head is known as Myasthenia Gravis. Ptosis, double vision and drooping eyelids are the initial signs of this condition.
Brain Problems : All the visual processes are taken inside the brain and the nerves control the eyes that connect directly to the brain. The condition of double vision can develop in the brain due to several causes –
- Migraine headaches
- Increased pressure in the brain due to bleeding, infection or trauma
- Strokes
- Brain tumors
- Aneurysms
Lens Problem : The condition of cataracts is the most frequent problem of the lens which results in double vision. The images of both the eyes will be distorted if the cataract is there in both the eyes.
Nerve Problems : The conditions that may damage the nerves controlling the eye muscles resulting in double vision are –
- The damage in the nerve in one eye can be caused by uncontrolled diabetes that results in double vision and eye weakness.
- The condition of multiple sclerosis can affect nerves anywhere in the spinal cord or brain. The damage can lead to double vision.
- The nerve condition which causes progressive weakness is known as Guillain-Barre syndrome. The initial symptoms can occur in one eye leading to double vision.
Color Vision Correction
Objects can be differentiated on the basis of frequencies (wavelength) of the light which they reflect, transmit or emit and is referred to as color vision. The perception of colors is done by the human eye when the brain responds to the stimuli. The stimuli are produced when an incoming light that reacts with few types of cone photoreceptors in the eye. The human eye can see the light source or the object in many ways. The symptoms of color vision problems are –
- A person is not able to see several shades of the color as compared to people who can see hundreds of colors.
- A person may only see fewer colors and not all.
- A person may see many colors and does not know that he or she sees differently from others.
- In rare case, a person can only see white, gray or black.
The problem of abnormal color vision can be corrected by using glasses with colored contact lenses.
Cost of Vision Correction Surgery
The laser refractive surgeries in India are done at very reasonable price. All the hospitals use latest innovations and techniques to provide better vision to the patients. India has some of the best eye surgeons that provide for the best care and treatments for different eye problems.