Ametropia

Question 1

What is ametropia?

Answer 1

Ametropia is a group of refractive errors where light does not focus correctly on the retina.

Question 2

What are the main types of ametropia?

Answer 2

Myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), and astigmatism.

Question 3

What is myopia?

Answer 3

A refractive error where light focuses in front of the retina, causing difficulty seeing distant objects.

Question 4

What is hyperopia?

Answer 4

A refractive error where light focuses behind the retina, causing difficulty seeing near objects.

Question 5

What is astigmatism?

Answer 5

A refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens, leading to distorted or blurred vision.

Question 6

What is the pathophysiology of myopia?

Answer 6

An elongated eyeball or excessive curvature of the cornea causes light to focus in front of the retina.

Question 7

What is the pathophysiology of hyperopia?

Answer 7

A shortened eyeball or insufficient curvature of the cornea causes light to focus behind the retina.

Question 8

What is the pathophysiology of astigmatism?

Answer 8

Uneven curvature of the cornea or lens results in multiple focal points, distorting vision.

Question 9

What is emmetropia?

Answer 9

Normal vision where light focuses directly on the retina.

Question 10

What are common symptoms of myopia?

Answer 10

Blurred distance vision, squinting, and difficulty seeing road signs or whiteboards.

Question 11

What are common symptoms of hyperopia?

Answer 11

Eye strain, headaches, and difficulty focusing on near objects, especially after prolonged reading.

Question 12

What are common symptoms of astigmatism?

Answer 12

Blurred or distorted vision at all distances, eye strain, and headaches.

Question 13

What are the risk factors for myopia?

Answer 13

Family history, prolonged near work (e.g., reading, screen use), and insufficient outdoor activity.

Question 14

What are the risk factors for hyperopia?

Answer 14

Family history, older age, and certain medical conditions like diabetes or small eyeballs.

Question 15

How is ametropia diagnosed?

Answer 15

Comprehensive eye examination including visual acuity testing and refraction assessment.

Question 16

What is the Snellen chart?

Answer 16

A tool used to assess visual acuity by asking patients to read letters at a standardised distance.

Question 17

What is the management for myopia?

Answer 17

Corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses), orthokeratology, or refractive surgery like LASIK.

Question 18

What is the management for hyperopia?

Answer 18

Convex lenses in glasses or contact lenses, and in some cases, refractive surgery.

Question 19

What is the management for astigmatism?

Answer 19

Corrective lenses, including toric lenses, or refractive surgery.

Question 20

What is orthokeratology?

Answer 20

A non-surgical treatment using specialised contact lenses to temporarily reshape the cornea.

Question 21

What is LASIK surgery?

Answer 21

A type of refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea to correct refractive errors.

Question 22

What lifestyle factors can reduce the risk of developing myopia?

Answer 22

Spending more time outdoors and reducing prolonged near work like reading or screen time.

Question 23

What are complications of untreated ametropia?

Answer 23

Eye strain, amblyopia (“lazy eye”) in children, and reduced quality of life due to poor vision.

Question 24

What is the role of refraction assessment in ametropia?

Answer 24

It determines the degree of refractive error and helps prescribe corrective lenses.

Question 25

What is presbyopia, and how is it different from ametropia?

Answer 25

Presbyopia is age-related difficulty focusing on near objects due to lens stiffness, not a refractive error.