What happens to our vision as we get older?

When we are young, the front surface (cornea) and lens inside the eye form the eye’s “focusing system” and this has the ability to change shape and power. The lens system uses a process of “accommodation” to focus on close objects, however as we age the lens becomes stiffer and so changing the physical shape of the eye becomes increasingly more difficult to do.

Refractive error

The eyes “focusing system” is responsible for focusing incoming light rays onto the surface of the retina, and in a perfect optical system, the power of the cornea and lens are perfectly matched with the length of the eye, resulting in focussed images. A refractive error results when a mismatch in this system occurs, resulting in a blurred image.

Glasses or contact lenses are used to compensate for the eye’s refractive error by bending light rays in a way that complements the eye’s specific refractive error. In contrast, LASIK* and other forms of refractive surgery are intended to physically correct the eye’s refractive error to reduce the need for other visual aids.

LASER EYE SURGERY

* LASIK Laser Eye Surgery is one of the most popular types of Laser eye surgery, a process where the stroma, the middle layer of the cornea, is exposed before it is vaporized with the laser.  In LASIK eye surgery, a flap is cut in the stromal layer and the flap is folded back.