Refractive error refers to an eye disorder.

Written by Wang Fang
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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There are several clinical manifestations of refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, all of which fall under the category of refractive errors. The normal adult eye axis is approximately 24mm, and patients with refractive errors have eye axis measurements that are greater or less than this value, which prevents images from being clearly presented on the retina. In patients with myopia, images generally appear in front of the retina, while in patients with hyperopia, images typically appear behind the retina. Various types of refractive errors can be corrected by wearing glasses to improve vision, enabling patients to see clearly. Additionally, patients with myopia and astigmatism can also consider laser surgery treatment after reaching adulthood.

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Written by Peng Xi Feng
Ophthalmology
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How to treat refractive errors of the eyes?

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.

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Written by Wang Fang
Ophthalmology
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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.

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Written by Deng Jiang Tao
Ophthalmology
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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.

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Written by Peng Xi Feng
Ophthalmology
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What is the difference between refractive error and nearsightedness?

Myopia is a type of refractive error, which refers to the condition where, when the eye is not adjusting, parallel light rays after passing through the refractive action of the eye, do not form a clear image on the retina, but rather image in front of or behind the retina. This includes hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism. When parallel light rays image in front of the retina after passing through the eye's refractive action, it is called myopia.

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Written by Zheng Xin
Ophthalmology
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How to correct refractive errors

Refractive errors include myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia. The correction of myopia can be achieved using appropriate concave lenses, while hyperopia requires suitable convex lenses for correction. The correction of astigmatism depends on the degree and axis differences, so it is necessary to use lenses with the appropriate degree and axis for correction. Anisometropia, due to the significant difference in the degree between the two eyes, requires consideration of the sufficient degree and the correction of the magnification rate of the retinal image during correction.