Ophthalmology vocabulary Flashcards
accommodation (Acc)
ability of the eye to adjust to variations in distance
achromatopsia
a- = without chrom/o = color
profound inability to see in color from birth; also called color blindness
amblyopia
ambyl/o = dim -opia = vision
loss of vision not due to any disease; not correctable with glasses; persons with amblyopia wear a patch over one eye to force the affected eye to work; commonly called lazy eye
astigmatism (Astigm)
uneven bending of light rays caused by irregular curvature of the cornea; image is fuzzy; correct with cylindrical lenses
cataract
lens becomes cloudy or opaque; results in whole vision field becoming blurry; treatment is usually surgical removal of the cataract and replacement of the lens with an artificial lens
color vision tests
use of multicolored charts to determine the ability of a patient to recognize color
corneal abrasion
corne/o = cornea
-al pertaining to
scraping injury of the outer layer of the cornea
cryoextraction
cry/o = cold
procedure to remove the lens with a cataract using an extremely cold probe
diabetic retinopathy
retin/o = retina -pathy = disease
development of small hemorrhages and edema in the retina as a result of diabetes mellitus; dark spots appear in the visual field; laser surgery may be necessary for treatment
fluorescein
bright green fluorescent dye dropped onto the surface of the eyeball to highlight corneal abrasions
fluorescein angiography
angi/o = vessel -graphy = process of recording
procedure using intravenous fluorescein to examine the movement of blood through the blood vessels of the eye
glaucoma
condition resulting from an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), which if untreated, can result in atrophy of the optic nerve and blindness; the patient notices that vision becomes blurry around the edges; treated with medication and surgery
hyperopia
hyper- = excessive -opia = vision
visual condition in which a person can see things in the distance but has trouble reading material at close range; also known as farsightedness; corrected with converging or biconvex lens
intraocular lens (IOL) implant
intra- = within ocul/o = eye -ar = pertaining to
replacing a defective natural lens with an artificial lens following cataract extraction
laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)
kerat/o = cornea
correction of myopia using laser surgery to remove minute slices of corneal tissue
laser retinal photocoagulation
retin/o = retina -al = pertaining to phot/o = light
using a laser to make pinpoint scars to stabilize a detached or torn retina
macular degeneration
deterioration of the macula lutea of the retina; the patient notices a loss of vision in the center of the visual field
myopia (MY)
-opia = vision
visual condition in which a person can see things at close range, but distance vision is blurred; also known as nearsightedness; corrected with diverging or biconcave lens
nyctalopia
-opia = vision
poor vision at night or in dim light; commonly called night blindness
nystagmus
jerky-appearing involuntary eye movements
optician
opt/o = vision -ician = specialist
healthcare professional training to make corrective lenses and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses
phacoemulsification
phac/o = lens
use of high-frequency sound waves to break up a cataract, which is then removed by suction with a needle
photophobia
phot/o = light -phobia = fear
excessive sensitivity to light leading to avoidance; not psychological fear of light
photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)
photo/o = light kerat/o = cornea -ectomy = surgical removal
use of a laser to reshape the cornea to improve visual acuity
radial keratotomy (RK)
kerat/o = cornea -otomy = cutting into
surgery with spoke-like incisions in the cornea to flatten it; done to correct nearsightedness
refractive error
defect in the ability of the eye to bend light rays to focus an image properly of the fovea centralis (refraction); occurs in myopia and hyperopia
retinal detachment
retin/o = retina -al = pertaining to
occurs when the retina becomes separated from the choroid layer; this separation seriously damages blood vessels and nerves, resulting blindness
slit lamp microscope
micro- = small -scope = instrument for viewing
instrument used in ophthalmology for examining the conjunctiva, cornea, iris, and lens; consists of a microscope combined with a light source that can be narrowed into a slit
Snellen chart
chart used for testing visual acuity; contains letters of varying sizes and is shown from a distance of 20 feet; the average person who can read at this distance is said to have 20/20 vision
strabismus
weakness of the external eye muscle; results in eyes looking in different directions at the same time; can be corrected with glasses, eye exercises, and/or surgery; commonly called cross-eyed if the eye is turned toward the nose
strabotomy
-otomy = cutting into
incision into eye muscles to correct strabismus
stye
small purulent infection of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid; treated with hot compresses or surgical incision and drainage; also called hordeolum
visual acuity test (VA)
measurement of the sharpness of a patient’s vision; usually a Snellen chart is used for this test and the patient identifies letters from a distance of 20 feet; the term 20/20 vision means a person is able to see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision would expect to see at 20 feet; terms such as 20/200 would indicate a person’s degree of myopia, that is, s/he must be 20 feet away from an object to see it when a person with normal vision could see the object from 200 feet away
