When you visit your eye doctor because you’re having trouble seeing, you should receive a diagnosis, along with treatment recommendations and a prescription to help correct your vision. Some of the most common diagnoses given after an exam are of refractive disorders, namely nearsightedness and farsightedness, but their explanations can be confusing. Here’s what you should know about both of these conditions and why you should visit an eye doctor as soon as possible.

Nearsightedness

With myopia, also known as nearsightedness, the light that enters through your cornea travels to other spots in the eye before the retina. This causes the light to form images in front of your retina instead of on it, which leads to blurriness in vision when viewing objects that are far away. You’ll notice if you have myopia because you’ll be able to read or see your phone screen comfortably when it’s in your hand, but objects that are farther away—like trees or the TV—will be fuzzy and indistinct.

Farsightedness

Farsightedness, also called hyperopia, is a refractive disorder as well, but its cause and vision disturbances are the polar opposite of nearsightedness. Hyperopia occurs when the light that enters your eye lands past your retina, causing images to form behind it instead of on it. This means that when you’re looking at objects that are far away—like leaves on a tree or a whiteboard across the room—your vision will be clear; when you’re attempting to write in a notebook or read a magazine, however, your vision will be blurry, making it harder to see what you’re doing and putting a strain on your eyes.

In West Chester, OH, you’ll find expert care services for all ages from the leading eye doctor at Daniel J. Kroger OD. For more than 25 years, they’ve provided Butler County and the surrounding areas with effective, affordable options, from a regular exam to the management of eye diseases. They’re backed by a passion for delivering exceptional experiences to their patients through wonderful service and clear communication. Let their eye doctor take excellent care of your vision with the latest technology and a professional, caring staff. View their optometrist services online, or call (513) 777-3936 for an appointment.