The eye is a complex organ that bends light towards the retina where the electrical impulses created there are sent to the brain to decode them and form a visual image. The cornea is the membrane at the front of the eye
Eyesight
How do my eyes work?
The eye is a complex organ that bends light towards the retina where the electrical impulses created there are sent to the brain to decode them and form a visual image.
The cornea is the membrane at the front of the eye that bends light via the pupil and which then passes through the crystalline lens where it is bent further so that it falls exactly on to the retina which is the light sensitive membrane at the back of the eye. The retina is a complex network of visual receptors, blood vessels and nerves. The light that falls on the retina, triggers chemical reactions in the receptors and ultimately leads to an electrical impulse which travels along the optic nerve to the back of the brain. This is where it is decoded and transformed by the visual cortex in to an image that we visualise.
What are common symptoms that require correction by contact lenses?
Contact lenses are suitable for most people with common eyesight problems. These include:
- Myopia (short sightedness) - objects are seen more clearly when they are close to the eye, while distant objects appear blurred or fuzzy.
- Hyperopia (long sightedness) - vision is better for distant objects than for near objects which can appear blurred.
- Astigmatism - causes blurred or distorted vision at all distances due to an irregularly shaped cornea.
- Presbyopia - an age-related inability to focus sharply on close objects.
