Eyeglasses & Contact Lenses
Over 150 million people in the United States wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Glasses and contact lenses improve vision by adjusting the way the eyes bend and focus light. Ideally, light rays are refracted, or bent, as they pass through the cornea so that the image can be focused on the retina, in the back of the eye. In a healthy eye, this means that objects can be seen clearly. Many people have a cornea that has either a shallow or steep curvature that causes light rays to focus either in front of or behind the retina. Objects may appear blurry at certain distances or at all distances.
Glasses and contact lenses correct these refractive errors. Prescriptions for each eye are measured for optimal vision clarity, usually 20/20. Eyewear may be used for certain activities, such as reading for farsighted, or hyperopic patients and driving or watching television for nearsighted, or myopic patients. Eyeglasses or contact may be need to be worn at all times.
Regular eye exams test for the development and progression of refractive errors and help your doctor provide a proper prescription if eyeglasses or contact lenses are needed. Exams are also an invaluable tool in the early detection of eye disease.