What is refractive error?
With normal vision, light enters the eye through the cornea and lens and is focused clearly on the retina in the back of the eye. When light rays do not focus perfectly on the retina, you have a refractive error and you need glasses to see clearly. This usually results from an eye that grows too big with a steep corneal curve and you are nearsighted or the eye is too small with a flat corneal curve and you are farsighted. In addition, if the cornea is elliptical or egg-shaped, this creates ghosting and doubling of images called astigmatism.
In normal vision, light passes through the cornea to a single focal point on the retina at the back of the eye. With a refractive error, light passing through the cornea is not bent (refracted) correctly and focuses in front of the retina, behind the retina, or at two separate points. In many cases, refractive errors are the result of abnormalities in the length or shape of the cornea. LASIK eye surgery at EyeCare 20/20 in East Hanover is effective at correcting refractive error and improving vision quality.
