Optometry Terms: A-B
Accommodation: The process by which the vertebrate eye is able to focus on objects at varying distances, “accommodating” the shape of the eye to the distance of the object being focused on.
Amblyopia: Also known as “lazy eye.” Usually occurs in young children. An otherwise apparently healthy eye in every other way is having trouble seeing properly with one of his eyes. Can sometimes be caused by a misalignment of the eyes, or a difference between the two eyes in the actual quality of the resulting focus.
Asthenopia: Tired eyes usually caused by prolonged use, but can sometimes by caused by other factors, resulting in pain, fatigue or eye strain.
Astigmatism: Due to the fact that the cornea is not a perfect sphere, resulting in light rays traveling from the same object fall on the eye on two separate foci, resulting in blurred vision.
Bifocals: Corrective lens with two unique optical powers within the same lens; used to correct the site of those who need correction for both near-sightedness and farsightedness. This problem often develops in older people as their eye muscles age and they begin to be unable to focus them both for near and far vision.
Binocular Vision: Two eyes working together to form one image in the viewer’s mind.
Blepharitis: Inflammation of the upper and lower eyelids which can vary in severity from mild to severe.
B-scan: Also known as a ‘Brightness Scan,’ the B-scan is an ultrasound image used to diagnose eye diseases using a two dimensional and cross-sectional appearance of the eye and the orbit.