In a normal eye,  light rays are focused directly onto the retina, resulting in a clear image.

Myopia (Nearsighted vision)
Myopia (nearsighted vision) is a condition of the eye where light focuses in front of where it is supposed to (the retina).  This condition may occur because the eye is longer than normal or the it has too much focusing power.  The result of this refractive error is blurry vision at distance.  At Hamilton Family Eyecare we use glasses, contact lenses, refractive surgery (LASIK or PRK), or a Visian lens to correct for the myopic eye.  Dr Hamilton will be happy to educate you as to which  option is best for you.


Hyperopia (Farsighted  Vison)
Hyperopia (farsighted vision) is a condition of the eye where light focuses behind where it is supposed to (the retina).  This condition may occur because the eye is shorter than normal or the eye has too little focusing power.  The result of this refractive error is blurry vision at near and in extreme cases both the distance and near vision may be blurred.  At Hamilton Family Eyecare we use glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery (LASIK or PRK) to correct for the hyperopic eye.  Dr. Hamilton will be happy to educate you as to which option is best for you.



Astigmatism
In a “normal” eye, the cornea has a spherical, uniform shape, resulting in equal focusing power throughout the entire surface of the cornea.  When the cornea’s surface is not spherical, but football shaped, light will focus in multiple points instead of one.  If light is focusing at two points, this will cause blurry vision at both distance and near.  This is referred to as regular astigmatism.  If the cornea has more than 2 curvatures, light may focus in multiple points within the eye.   This is referred to as irregular astigmatism and may be the result of eye injury or disease.  At Hamilton Family Eyecare we correct for regular astigmatism with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery (LASIK, PRK).  For irregular astigmatism we correct it with gas permeable contact lenses.  Newly introduced to the market are lens implant that correct for astigmatism in patients requiring cataract surgery.  The result of these implants is clear, crisp vision distance without correction.  Dr. Hamilton will be happy to educate you as to which option is best for you.

Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the progressive loss of the eyes ability to change focus.  Normally, when viewing a near object the lens in the eye changes shape to bring the image into focus.  In the presbyopic eye the lens has become stiff and rigid and has lost its ability to change shape.  This condition results in eye fatigue and blurry vision when viewing near objects.  It is usually first noticed around the age of 40 and continues to progress until approximately 60 years of age.  Presbyopia is independent of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.  Every patient that lives into their 40’s will experience presbyopia.  At Hamilton Family Eyecare we correct it with glasses, multifocal and monovision contact lenses, multifocal lens implants (ReStor, ReZoom, and Crystal Lens), and refractive surgery (CK).  Dr. Hamilton will educate you as to which option is best for your eyes.



An eye with a corrective lens focuses light on the retina.