Common Vision Problems

Different eye disorders will affect sight in different ways. Use these vision problem simulations to get an idea of how eye disorders affect vision.

Nearsightedness (Myopia)

This condition occurs when the eyeball is too long from front to back or the cornea has too much curvature. Objects in the foreground are sharp, but distant objects appear out of focus.

Farsightedness (Hyperopia)

This condition occurs when the eyeball is too short from front to back or the cornea has too little curvature. Objects in the distance are sharper than those in the foreground, but the entire visual field is somewhat out of focus.

Astigmatism

This condition is caused by a cornea or lens that is not equally rounded in all directions. Portions of the visual field are out of focus.

Presbyopia

This condition, which most commonly develops as a result of aging, is caused by a loss of flexibility in the lens. The hardened lens isn’t able to properly focus on nearby objects, causing blurred vision in the foreground.

Cataract

This is a cloudiness of the lens that develops most commonly as a result of aging. Cataracts can cause vision to become cloudy and yellowish, and can cause difficulty with glare, bright sunlight, driving at night, and problems with reading.

Glaucoma

This is a buildup of pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve, causing blind spots in the field of vision. It can develop so slowly that it may not be noticed until permanent damage has already occurred.

Macular Degeneration

This condition, which usually affects older people, is caused by a breakdown of the central part of the retina, called the macula. It causes loss of vision in the center of the visual field.

Retinal Detachment

This disorder occurs when the retina peels away from the eye wall. Patients with this disorder may see flashes of light or floating objects. A large portion of the visual field may be obscured.

Vitreous Hemorrhage

This condition occurs when blood vessels rupture and bleed into the eye. It can cause dark spots to form in the visual field, and can completely obscure vision.

Double Vision

This condition can be caused by misalignment or structural defects of the eyes or by head trauma. The images seen by each eye don’t match up together properly, creating an overlap.