According to the National Eye Institute, more than 150 million people have eye-focusing problems. You could be squinting, have trouble seeing objects up close, or struggle driving at night. In each of these cases, it’s important to see an eye doctor. At Urias Eyecare, which serves Midland, Odessa, and Andrews, TX, we provide regular eye exams and provide treatment to help patients manage eye problems and preserve their vision. To learn more about eye focusing problems, keep reading below!
What is an Eye Focusing Problem?
This eye problem causes the eye not to focus on objects correctly, which makes them appear blurry. Typically, your eyes shift focus constantly to keep images clear. The focusing mechanism happens instantly, allowing objects and images to appear in focus. These adjustments occur in the ciliary muscle, which contracts when the eye focuses on an item. Eye focusing problems develop when the muscle can’t relax and contract as quickly and accurately, causing the images or objects to appear blurry.
Types of Eye Focusing Problems
An eye focusing problem manifests in the following four ways:
- Accommodative insufficiency: This is when the focusing muscles lose their ability to contract for a longer period of time
- Accommodative excess: This happens when the ciliary muscle over-contracts when looking at an object that is close in range
- Accommodative spasm: This problem occurs when the ciliary muscle is not able to relax
- Accommodative infacility: This problem happens when the ciliary muscle struggles to contract and relax
Causes of Eye Focusing Problems
Eye focusing problems are an indication of underlying eye problems. The most common are refractive errors such as the following:
Presbyopia
This condition occurs when the eyes can’t focus on nearby objects near it and is responsible for visual acuity. It results from the loss of elasticity in the eye lens located between the retina and the cornea. Presbyopia is the most common eye focus problem affecting the elderly.
Myopia
Myopia is also referred to as nearsightedness. Myopia occurs when the retina can’t focus on an object accurately. People with this eye problem can’t see things located a few meters away.
Hyperopia
This condition is also called farsightedness. It occurs when the focus of a nearby object falls on the space behind the retina, which causes blurred vision.
Astigmatism
This eye-focusing problem results due to an irregularly shaped cornea. A healthy cornea has a smooth spherical shape, however, with astigmatism, the various curvatures of the cornea distort the eye’s ability to focus on objects.
Contact us for an Appointment Today
If you have any eye focusing problems, our team at Urias Eyecare, is happy to help. We serve patients in Midland, Odessa, and Andrews, TX, and can examine your eyes to recommend a suitable treatment. Contact us for any inquiries or to schedule an appointment!
