Natural Health October 2017

PREVENTION & Remedies
absence of any other refractive error,
can sometimes be treated with over-thecounter
reading glasses. There is no way
to slow down or reverse presbyopia.
Simple vision problems that are left
untreated can spiral out of control
and become more serious. Many
eye diseases have no early warning
symptoms or cause any early changes in
vision. A detailed eye assessment is vital
to pick up the cause for early changes
in vision.
A refractive error occurs when the shape
of the eye prevents light from focusing
directly on the retina. This can be
caused by a number of things, such as
the length of the eyeball being too long
or too short, changes in the shape of the
cornea, or a result of aging.
There are four types of
refractive errors:
• Hyperopia
• Myopia
• Astigmatism
• Presbyopia
What is hyperopia?
Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is a
refractive error that causes nearby
objects to appear blurry while distant
ones are clear. It is caused by the
eyeball being shorter than usual. As a
result, light rays entering into the eye
focus behind the retina opposed to
directly on it.
HYPEROPIA
What is myopia?
Myopia is a refractive error that causes
nearby objects to appear clear whilst
distant ones are blurry. Near sightedness
(myopia) is the most common refractive
error and rates of myopia are increasing.
In myopia, the eyeball is too long and
hence light rays focus in front of
the retina.
MYOPIA
What is astigmatism?
An eye with astigmatism will have light
rays focusing at multiple points opposed
to a single one. This causes vision to be
blurred or distorted to some extent at all
distances. It is caused by an irregularly
shaped cornea.
What is presbyopia?
Presbyopia naturally occurs with age.
Like hyperopia, presbyopia causes
near vision to be blurry. It usually occurs
after the age of 40. Presbyopia, in the
These are some important
facts to remember
about vision:
1. 1 in 4 school-aged children
has a vision problem that
affects their ability to learn.
2.80% of learning
involves vision.
3. 1 in 3 adults over 40 has a
vision problem.
4. Myopia (nearsightedness)
is reaching epidemic
proportions.
5. 50% of people with
glaucoma are unaware they
have this sight-threatening
condition and are therefore
not receiving much needed
and timely treatment.
46 Natural Health * October 2017 VOL 84