Your Eyesight Explained

Most people will require help with their eyesight at some stage in their lives, especially as they get older. Blurred vision can, however take several different forms and these are decribed below:

  • Short sight - Known as myopia, this means you can see clearly close up but may find that distance objects are blurred. In this case there will be a minus sign (-) in the 'sphere' part of your prescription. You will probably need glasses for many everyday activities, including driving, watching TV or sports.
  • Long sight - Known as hyperopia, this means that close up objects (and sometimes distance objects) may be out of focus. In this case there will be a plus sign (+) in the 'sphere' part of your prescription. You may need glasses for reading, VDU work, driving and watching TV.
  • Astigmatism - This occurs when the curvature of your eye is not perfectly round. In this case there will be numbers in the 'cylinder' and 'axis' parts of your prescription. Your vision could be blurred at all distances and you may need to wear glasses all the time.
  • Presbyopia - This occurs when the lens inside your eye loses some of its flexibility so that it becomes difficult to focus on close-up objects. Presbyopia is a result of the eye's ageing process and it affects everyone from their mid-40s onwards. In this case there will be a figure in the 'near' or 'intermediate' part of your prescription and you will probably need glasses for reading.