Eye Care Glossary
Accommodation – The eye’s ability to change its focus from distance to near objects, something that is achieved when the lens changes shape.
Amblyopia (lazy eye) - A disorder of the coordination between the eye and the brain, something that usually begins in childhood that causes the body to prefer one eye over the other, resulting in unequal vision.
Astigmatism – A common form of visual impairment in which part of an image is blurred due to irregular curvature.
Blepharitis – A chronic inflammation of the eyelids. Symptoms include redness, burning, itching, swollen and crusty lids, as well as dry eye symptoms.
Cataract – A clouding of the lens of the eye that can cause changes in vision. Changes may include hazy, blurred vision, as well as sensitivity to glare.
Conjunctivitis – More commonly known as “pink eye”, conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the membrane on the inner part of the eye and the white of the eye. Symptoms include eye pain, redness and swelling of the eye and discharge.
Custom iLASIK – iLASIK is the world’s best LASIK technology and that is what we use here at Dunes Eye Consultants and Dunes LASIK Center. It is the only technology approved for the U.S. military pilots and NASA astronauts. iLASIK combines the accuracy of an individual custom fit, the most advanced FDA-approved technology and the safety and comfort of bladeless LASIK. Our Custom iLASIK package includes VISX Wavescan Wavefront™, Intralase™ Femtosecond Laser, VISX Star 4 Iris Registration™ Excimer Laser and VISX Advanced CustomVue™ Treatment.
Diabetic Retinopathy – A disease of the small blood vessels of the retina of the eye in people with diabetes. With diabetic eye disease, the vessels swell and leak into the retina, blurring the vision and sometimes leading to blindness.
Dilation – A process in which the pupil is temporarily enlarged with drops to allow examination of the retina.
Dry Eye Syndrome – Dry eye is normally caused by a problem with the tear film that lubricates the eye. Symptoms include itching, burning, irritation, redness, blurred vision improved by blinking and/or excessive tearing. This is usually treated with medicated eye drops or punctal plugs.
Excimer Laser – A laser used during laser vision correction that emits concentrated light in the UV region of the spectrum and gently reshapes the cornea during a LASIK procedure.
Flashes and Floaters – Floaters are deposits of condensation in the vitreous jelly of the eye that becomes visually evident. Flashes originate from the tugging on the retina as the vitreous gel liquefies.
Glaucoma – An eye with glaucoma produces more fluid than can be removed by the eye which then increases the intraocular pressure, most of the time without warning. If glaucoma is not diagnosed and treated, it can progress to loss of central vision and possibly blindness.
Herpes Zoster (shingles) – An infection, produced by the same virus that causes chicken pox, which can reactivate on the skin or in the eye causing scarring and inflammation.
Hordeolum (stye) – A tender, painful red bump located at the base of an eyelash or under or inside the eyelid that is caused by a localized inflammatory process.
Hyperopia (farsighted) - Occurs when the cornea is too flat, or the eye is too short. Individuals with hyperopia see better at a distance than near, but are more than likely blurred at all distances without a form of vision correction.
Keratoconus – A condition caused by the middle of the cornea thinning and gradually bulging outward, becoming cone shaped, causing moderate to severe astigmatism and blurriness.
LASIK (Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis) – A refractive surgical approach used to correct vision in people who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism.
Macular Degeneration – A disease that progressively destroys the macula, the central portion of the retina, impairing central vision. Sometimes macular degeneration causes difficulty reading, driving or performing certain daily activities.
Monovision – A refractive correction that is achieved with lenses or laser eye surgery in which one eye is used for distance and one eye is used for near vision.
Myopia (nearsighted) – Occurs when the cornea is too steep, or the eye is too long. Individuals with myopia see objects up close at hand more clearly than far away objects.
optomap ® – A retinal exam that produces an image that is as unique as your fingerprint and provides a wide view to look at the health of your retina. This exam helps detect diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal holes, tears or detachments and other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Pentacam – This is the gold standard technology for evaluating the cornea. This exam generates critical data about the cornea pre- and post-operatively, but is also used for a number of other testing’s in our clinic. It takes a three dimensional picture of the cornea so even the center of the cornea can be measured.
Pinguecula – A yellow spot on the white of the eye, usually toward the inside (nose side) of the eye, associated with aging and repeated sun and wind exposure.
Presbyopia – The loss of the eye’s ability to change focus to see near objects, the ability to accommodate or the ability to quickly change focus from far to near. This occurs with age and is due to the lens in the eye thickening and losing its flexibility.
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) - A refractive surgical approach used to correct vision in people who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism and have thinner corneas. In PRK, instead of getting to the tissue underneath the cornea, it reshapes the cornea itself with a cool, pulsing Excimer Laser. This procedure is completely bladeless and doesn’t require the need to create a flap.
Ptosis – A condition that causes the upper eyelid to droop that is attributed to age, a neurological disorder, lid manipulation such as contact lens wear, or trauma.
Refraction – An examination that tests an individual’s ability to see an object at a specific distance and that determines the best eye wear or contact lenses to correct a refractive error.
Refractive Error – An error in the focusing power of the eye, thus creating a blurred image. Vision can be brought back into focus with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery.
Retinal Detachment – A separation of the retina from its attachments to its underlying tissue within the eye that is a potentially vision-threatening condition.
Subconjunctival Hemorrhage – This occurs when a blood vessel of the white part of the eye breaks and bleeds. This results in a reddened eye.
Topography – An advanced test that maps the cornea to evaluate its irregularities.
Visual Acuity – The ability to distinguish details and shapes of objects.
Visual Field – An individual’s entire scope of vision, including both center and peripheral (side) vision.
Wavefront – Using light images to evaluate the way that waves of light pass through the visual system to distinguish problems with the way the eye handles light.
WaveScan Wavefront System – A computer program that precisely maps the topography of a patient’s eye giving detailed analysis of the visual characteristics of the entire optical system, taking a “fingerprint” mapping. This information is then used to plan a more personalized approach for that patient’s LASIK surgery that is individualized to fit their visual needs.
