What is a refractive error?

We depend on our eyes for vision throughout our lives. Decreased vision, occurring at any age, can significantly impact the quality of our lives. There are two basic causes of decreased vision; refractive errors and eye disease. Refractive errors are conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These conditions occur when your eye does not bend or focus light rays properly onto the retina at the back of the eye. Refractive errors are usually easy to treat with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. As we get older, there is an increased risk of developing more serious eye related conditions. Most eye diseases that can lead to irreversible blindness, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, tend to progress without any pain or vision symptoms in the early stages. Age is a major risk factor for the development of many eye conditions because they typically develop over the course of one's life time. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, some of these conditions can lead to significant loss of vision or even blindness. The best way to protect your eye from conditions that can decrease your vision is to see your eye care professional on a regular basis.