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Refractive error
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Refractive errors keep you from seeing sharply, and they are the most common vision problem there is.
For vision to be sharp, light has to land right on the retina, the light-sensitive layer that lines the back of the eye. Two parts aim it there: the cornea, the clear window at the front, and the lens, which sits inside the eye. When the shape of the eye leaves light focused somewhere other than exactly on the retina, the image comes out blurry. It is a camera whose lens focuses just in front of or just behind the film.
One of the causes is the length of the eyeball, meaning the eye grew too long or too short. The most common symptom is blurry vision, and the errors are corrected with glasses or contact lenses, or fixed with surgery.
In brief
Refractive errors keep you from seeing sharply and are the most common vision problem.
They happen when the shape of the eye keeps light from focusing on the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye onto which the cornea and lens focus light.
It is a camera whose lens focuses just in front of or just behind the film.
One cause is the length of the eyeball; the most common symptom is blurry vision, and they are corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
Sources (1)
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of HealthRefractive Errors, National Eye InstitutePublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated