How to treat refractive errors of the eyes?

Written by Peng Xi Feng
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 11, 2024
00:00
00:00

Refractive error refers to the condition where, without accommodation, parallel light rays passing through the refractive media of the eye do not form a clear image on the retina, but rather form an image in front of or behind the retina. This includes hyperopia (farsightedness), myopia (nearsightedness), and astigmatism. For myopia treatment, light to moderate myopia can be corrected with appropriate concave lenses; in cases of hyperopia, if vision is normal and there are no subjective symptoms, no treatment is needed. However, if there are symptoms of visual fatigue, appropriate convex lenses should be used for correction; astigmatism requires the correction with cylindrical lenses.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
43sec home-news-image

What is refractive error?

Refractive errors in ophthalmology include myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The optical principle behind these is that parallel light rays, after passing through the optical system of the eyeball, do not focus on the retina, and therefore do not form a clear image. This condition is known as a refractive error. In everyday life, some people mistakenly believe that presbyopia is also a refractive error, but presbyopia is not a refractive error; it is a physiological condition. The common refractive errors are the three types I just mentioned: myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
57sec home-news-image

Is refractive error in children a serious issue?

Refractive errors in children should catch the attention of parents. Some minor refractive errors may not affect a child's vision or visual development, but as they grow older and their studies become more demanding, if these errors are not corrected at the appropriate time, the myopia in some children can deepen quickly. If some children are hyperopic, a high degree of hyperopia can affect their visual development, causing strabismus and amblyopia. Some children with low degrees of astigmatism, which do not affect visual development, can just have regular check-ups. However, for high degrees of astigmatism, if a child cannot correct their vision to the best possible level or to the level of normal children their age, glasses should be prescribed to improve their vision.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Fang
Ophthalmology
1min 14sec home-news-image

Do you need to wear glasses for refractive errors?

First, it should be clarified that true refractive errors must be corrected with glasses. Refractive errors in clinical practice are divided into pseudo-refractive errors and true refractive errors. Pseudo-refractive errors generally occur in preschool children and children in the early years of school. When a decline in vision occurs, parents should take their children to the hospital for a medical optometry examination. After pupil dilation, a comprehensive optometry examination can determine whether the child has a pseudo-refractive error or a true refractive error. If it is a pseudo-refractive error, it can be improved through more rest, more outdoor activities, and various physiotherapy methods to alleviate visual fatigue, thereby improving vision. However, once it is diagnosed as a true refractive error, appropriate strength glasses should be promptly prescribed for the child to correct the vision. Because if true refractive errors are not corrected, visual fatigue will persist and continue to worsen, which will cause the child's prescription to continuously increase.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Fang
Ophthalmology
1min home-news-image

Refractive amblyopia can be cured

Refractive amblyopia, most cases can be cured. Most refractive amblyopia is associated with hyperopia, accompanied by amblyopia, caused by abnormal fetal development in the womb, and the specific cause is unknown. If amblyopia in children can be detected between the ages of three to five and treated in a timely manner, most cases can be cured with a good prognosis. Treatment before the age of eight has better outcomes; treatment between 8-12 years old is less effective; there is no way to treat after age 12. The principle of treating amblyopic children is based on medical optometric prescription combined with effective amblyopia training, which primarily includes threading beads, puzzles, or using amblyopia treatment devices, etc. After amblyopia is cured, follow-up is required for three years to prevent recurrence.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Jiang Tao
Ophthalmology
36sec home-news-image

How is refractive error treated?

Refractive errors come in several types, commonly including myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. Generally, these are the four main categories. Regardless of the type, the treatment methods for refractive errors typically involve the following: one method is wearing frame glasses to improve or maintain good vision. Another method is using contact lenses to achieve good vision. Lastly, corrective surgery, such as LASIK, can be performed to correct the vision permanently. These are the three basic approaches.