A refractive error means that your eye does not focus light precisely on the retina, causing your vision to be blurred. In this section of the SMEYEL knowledge base, we explain the most common refractive errors, such as short-sightedness, long-sightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia, and how to correct them with contact lenses or glasses.
With short-sightedness (myopia), distant objects appear blurred whilst near objects are in focus; with long-sightedness (hypermetropia), the opposite may be true. Astigmatism is caused by an irregular curvature of the cornea or the lens, resulting in a blurred image at multiple points. Age-related long-sightedness (presbyopia) develops gradually over the years, making reading at close range more difficult. For each term, we explain in simple terms what the condition involves and how it affects your vision.
Most refractive errors can be effectively corrected. For example, astigmatism can be corrected with toric lenses, and presbyopia with multifocal lenses that combine distance and near vision. You can determine the correct prescription and lens type together with your optician or optometrist, based on an eye test.
At SMEYEL , you’ll find contact lenses for a variety of prescriptions, including toric lenses for astigmatism and multifocal lenses for near and far vision. If you’d like to know more about the prescriptions for your vision, take a look at the contact lenses category. For prescriptions requiring glasses, there’s the types of spectacle lenses category. Have your prescription checked regularly to ensure it remains accurate.
