Guides A to Z
Eye terms, symptoms and exercises explained in plain words. General information, not advice: your eye doctor is the one to ask about your eyes.
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- 20-20-20 rule
- A screen-break habit: every 20 minutes, look about 20 feet (6 metres) away for 20 seconds. Read the guide →
A
- Accommodation
- The eye's ability to change focus between far and near.
- Amblyopia
- Reduced vision in one eye that develops in childhood, often called lazy eye.
- Astigmatism
- An uneven curve of the cornea or lens that can blur vision at any distance.
B
- Blink rate
- How often you blink. People tend to blink less while looking at a screen.
- Blurry vision
- When things look out of focus, up close, far away or both. Read the guide →
- Brock string
- A bead-and-string tool some eye care professionals prescribe for practising convergence. Read the guide →
C
- Cataract
- A clouding of the eye's natural lens, more common with age.
- Conjunctivitis
- Inflammation of the thin layer over the white of the eye, often called pink eye.
- Contrast sensitivity
- How well you can tell an object apart from a background of a similar shade.
- Convergence
- Both eyes turning inward together to look at something close.
- Convergence insufficiency
- When the eyes find it hard to turn inward together for close work, which can make reading tiring. Read the guide →
D
- Diplopia
- The medical word for double vision. See Double vision
- Double vision
- Seeing two of one object, side by side or one above the other. New double vision needs urgent care. Read the guide →
- Drooping eyelid
- An upper eyelid that sits lower than usual, also called ptosis. Read the guide →
- Dry eyes
- Eyes that feel gritty, burning or scratchy, often worse at a screen or in dry air. Read the guide →
E
- Exercise log
- A simple record of the exercises your eye care professional prescribed. Read the guide →
- Eye drops
- Drops for the eyes, from lubricating drops to prescribed medicine. Read the guide →
- Eye exercises
- Movements or tasks for the eyes, and what research does and doesn't show about them. Read the guide →
- Eye exercise myths
- Common claims about eye exercises and what the evidence says. Read the guide →
- Eye strain
- Tired, aching or uncomfortable eyes after long close work, also called digital eye strain. Read the guide →
- Eye twitching
- A small, repeated flicker of the eyelid, also called myokymia. Read the guide →
F
- Floaters
- Small specks or threads that drift across your vision. A sudden shower of new floaters or flashes of light needs urgent care.
G
- Glaucoma
- A group of conditions that damage the optic nerve, often without early symptoms, which is why regular eye exams matter.
H
- Headache
- Pain in the head, which people sometimes notice alongside eye strain. Read the guide →
- Hyperopia
- Long-sightedness: things up close look less clear than things far away.
L
- Light sensitivity
- Discomfort in bright light, also called photophobia. Read the guide →
M
- Myopia
- Short-sightedness: things far away look less clear than things up close.
O
- Ophthalmologist
- A medical doctor who specialises in eyes and eye surgery.
- Optometrist
- An eye care professional who examines eyes, tests vision and prescribes glasses or contact lenses.
- Orthoptist
- An eye care professional who assesses eye movements and how the two eyes work together.
P
- Pencil push-ups
- A near-focus exercise where a pencil is moved slowly toward the nose. Read the guide →
- Photophobia
- The medical word for light sensitivity. See Light sensitivity
- Presbyopia
- The gradual loss of near focus with age, usually noticed after about 40.
- Ptosis
- The medical word for a drooping eyelid. See Drooping eyelid
R
- Red eye
- Redness in the white of the eye. A red eye with pain or changed vision needs urgent care. Read the guide →
S
- Screen time
- The hours spent looking at phones, computers and other screens. Read the guide →
- Sleep
- How long and how well you slept, which many people note next to how their eyes feel. Read the guide →
- Strabismus
- When the eyes don't point in the same direction, also called a squint.
T
- Tear film
- The thin layer of tears that covers and protects the front of the eye.
- Tired eyes
- Eyes that feel heavy, achy or worn out, often late in the day. Read the guide →
V
- Visual acuity
- How clearly you see detail, usually measured with a letter chart.