Eye conditions
8 questions in this topic
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A sudden change in vision is different from the gradual focusing problems described on this page.
If you experience sudden vision loss, flashing lights, a dark shadow across your vision, severe eye pain or a red and painful eye, seek urgent medical or optometric assessment.
No. Short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia are the vision problems Optilase offers a surgical solution for.
We do not diagnose or treat eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. If you have symptoms of those conditions, your GP or optometrist is the right first stop.
The treatments covered on this page are for adult vision correction. Children can develop refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, but their eyes are still developing and their care differs from elective adult vision correction.
If you are concerned about a child's vision, an optometrist or appropriate medical professional should be the first point of assessment.
Some vision changes are strongly associated with age. Presbyopia is the clearest example, as the natural lens gradually becomes less flexible and near focusing becomes more difficult.
Other prescriptions can also change throughout adulthood, but new or significant changes in vision should still be assessed rather than assumed to be part of normal ageing.
Some vision conditions can have a genetic component. Myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism can run in families, although genetics are not the only factor in whether somebody develops them.
Presbyopia is different: it is primarily associated with the natural ageing of the lens and eventually affects most adults to some degree.
Laser Eye Surgery can correct many stable cases of myopia, and lower amounts of hyperopia and astigmatism, in suitable adults.
Suitability depends on factors including your prescription, corneal measurements, eye health and prescription stability. If laser treatment is not appropriate, another form of vision correction may sometimes be considered.
Yes. Refractive errors often occur together, such as myopia with astigmatism, or hyperopia with astigmatism. Presbyopia can also develop later in life whether or not you already have another refractive error.
Your assessment looks at your complete prescription rather than treating each element in isolation.
The symptoms you notice can give an indication, but an eye assessment is needed to confirm the cause. Blurred distance vision may suggest myopia, difficulty focusing close up may point to hyperopia or presbyopia, and blurred or distorted vision across several distances may indicate astigmatism.
Other eye problems can cause similar symptoms, so it is worth having your eyes assessed rather than relying on self-diagnosis.