Common Vision Dysfunctions: Understanding Your Eyes
Blurry vision has a cause — and almost always a solution. Learn about the most common refractive errors and vision changes, and how Primaris Vision can help you see clearly at every age.
Astigmatism
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What it is: Astigmatism causes blurry or distorted vision at any distance — near or far — rather than affecting just one range like myopia or hyperopia.
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What causes it: The cornea or lens has an irregular, football-like shape instead of being evenly curved, so light focuses at multiple points instead of one, distorting the image.
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Common symptoms:
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Blurred or distorted vision at all distances
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Difficulty seeing at night or in low light
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Eye strain, headaches, or squinting
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Sensitivity to glare
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Typical onset: Can be present from birth or develop later in life; often occurs alongside myopia or hyperopia.
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How Primaris Vision helps: Astigmatism is measured precisely during your comprehensive eye exam and corrected with specially designed eyeglass lenses or toric contact lenses. Many patients with mild astigmatism are also candidates for ortho-k or LASIK — we'll evaluate your candidacy during a consultation.
What Are Refractive Errors?
Most common vision problems are "refractive errors" — the eye isn't bending (refracting) light correctly, so images don't focus precisely on the retina. The result is blurry vision at some or all distances. Refractive errors are extremely common, highly treatable, and usually easy to diagnose with a comprehensive eye exam.
The four most common refractive errors are myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Many people have more than one at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Presbyopia
(Age-Related Loss of Focusing)
What it is: Presbyopia is the gradual loss of the eye's ability to focus on close-up objects. Unlike hyperopia, it's caused by aging rather than the shape of the eye, and it eventually affects nearly everyone.
What causes it: The natural lens inside the eye becomes less flexible with age, making it harder to shift focus between distances — particularly for near tasks like reading.
Common symptoms:
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Needing to hold reading material at arm's length to bring it into focus
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Blurry vision at normal reading distance
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Eye strain or headaches after reading or close-up work
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Needing more light to read comfortably
Typical onset: Usually begins to appear after age 40 and progresses gradually with age.
How Primaris Vision helps: We diagnose presbyopia during a comprehensive eye exam and offer a range of corrections, including reading glasses, bifocal or progressive lenses, and multifocal contact lenses, so you can find the option that fits your lifestyle.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
What it is: With hyperopia, the eye has to actively focus to see clearly — even at a distance. As objects get closer, the eye has to work harder to focus, which is why near vision blurs first while distance vision can often still look clear, especially in younger patients.
What causes it: The eyeball is too short front-to-back, or the cornea doesn't curve enough, so light focuses behind the retina instead of on it.
Common symptoms:
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Blurry vision when reading, using a phone, or doing close-up work
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Eye strain or headaches after near work
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Difficulty focusing on nearby objects, especially by end of day
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In kids: reluctance to read or do close-up schoolwork
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Typical onset: Often present from birth; mild hyperopia in children may improve as the eye grows, while more significant cases need correction.
How Primaris Vision helps: A comprehensive eye exam identifies hyperopia and its severity. We correct it with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, and for adults interested in a permanent solution, we co-manage LASIK and other refractive surgery with your surgeon.
Myopia (Nearsightedness)
What it is: Myopia makes distant objects look blurry while close-up objects stay clear. It's one of the most common vision conditions, especially in children and teens, and its prevalence has been rising in recent decades.
What causes it: The eyeball grows too long from front to back, or the cornea is curved too steeply, so light focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it.
Common symptoms:
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Blurry vision when looking at distant objects (road signs, whiteboards, TV)
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Squinting to see clearly
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Headaches or eye strain
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In kids: sitting close to the TV or holding books close to the face
Typical onset: Often first appears around age 8–12 and can continue to progress through the teen years.
How Primaris Vision helps: We diagnose myopia with a comprehensive eye exam and correct it with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. For children and teens with progressive myopia, we also offer orthokeratology (ortho-k) — custom overnight lenses that reshape the cornea and are one of the most effective tools available for slowing myopia progression. Adults may also be candidates for LASIK, which we co-manage with your surgeon.
