Appendix:Glossary of ophthalmology

This is a glossary of ophthalmology.

A

 * astigmatism : A disorder of the vision, usually due to a misshapen cornea, such that light does not focus correctly on the retina causing a blurred image.

C

 * cataract : A disease of the eye causing its opacity and, unless treated, leading to blindness.


 * contact lens : A thin lens, made of flexible or rigid plastic, that is placed directly on to the eye to correct vision, used as an alternative to spectacles, or, if coloured, to change one's eye color cosmetically.

D

 * diopter : A unit of measure of the power of a lens or mirror, equal to the reciprocal of its focal length in meters. Myopia is diagnosed and measured in diopters.

E

 * emmetropia : The condition of perfect vision, where images are correctly brought to a focus on the retina.

G

 * glaucoma : An eye disease or disorder that is defined as a characteristic optic neuropathy, or disease of the optic nerve, possibly, if untreated, leading to damage of the optic disc of the eye and resultant visual field loss due to lack of communication between the retina and the brain, which can lead to blindness.

H

 * hyperopia : A disorder of the vision where the eye focuses images behind the retina instead of on it, so that distant objects can be seen better than near objects.

M

 * monovision : A treatment for presbyopia in which one eye is treated to improve distance vision and the other eye is treated to improve close-up vision
 * myopia : A disorder of the vision where distant objects appear blurred because the eye focuses their images in front of the retina instead of on it.

O

 * optometrist : A person trained and skilled in examining and testing the eyes for defects, in order to prescribe corrective lenses or treatment.
 * optometry : The art and science of vision and eye care.
 * ophthalmologist : A medical doctor specializing in the eye: deficiencies of vision requiring correction, and diseases.
 * ophthalmology : The study of anatomy, functions, pathology, and treatment of the eye.

P

 * presbyopia : Inability of the eye, due to ageing, to focus on nearby objects