Inglés para Optometría: Vocabulario y Frases Esenciales

"refractive error"

A condition in which the eye does not focus light correctly on the retina, causing blurred vision; includes myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism

"The patient presented with an uncorrected refractive error of −4.50 dioptres in the right eye and −3.75 in the left."

"myopia"

Nearsightedness; a refractive error in which distant objects appear blurred because the eye focuses light in front of the retina rather than on it

"The child's myopia had progressed by 0.75 dioptres over the past twelve months, prompting discussion of myopia control options."

"hyperopia"

Farsightedness; a refractive error in which the eye focuses light behind the retina, making close objects harder to see clearly

"Low degrees of hyperopia are often well tolerated in young patients because the crystalline lens can accommodate for the deficit."

"astigmatism"

A refractive error caused by an irregularly shaped cornea or lens that prevents light from focusing evenly on the retina, producing distorted or blurred vision at any distance

"The refraction revealed 1.50 dioptres of astigmatism at axis 180 degrees, which was corrected with a toric contact lens."

"cylinder and axis"

The two parameters in a spectacle or contact lens prescription that describe the power and orientation of the astigmatic correction

"When transcribing the prescription, the optician noted the cylinder value and axis for each eye before ordering the lenses."

"subjective refraction"

The interactive process in which the optometrist refines a patient's lens prescription by asking which lens choices appear clearer

"Subjective refraction confirmed the findings of the autorefractor and produced a final prescription of −2.25 DS for distance correction."

"accommodation"

The automatic process by which the crystalline lens changes shape to adjust the eye's focus for objects at different distances

"The teenager's amplitude of accommodation was measured at 12 dioptres, well within the expected range for her age."

"vergence"

The simultaneous movement of both eyes in opposite directions to maintain single binocular vision, either converging for near objects or diverging for distant ones

"The orthoptic assessment revealed reduced convergence reserves, suggesting vergence insufficiency as the cause of the patient's reading headaches."

"base curve"

The curvature of the back surface of a contact lens, selected to match the shape of the cornea for a comfortable and stable fit

"A steeper base curve was chosen after the initial trial lens showed excessive movement on the cornea."

"oxygen transmissibility"

A measure of how much oxygen passes through a contact lens material to the cornea, expressed as the Dk/t value

"Silicone hydrogel lenses offer significantly higher oxygen transmissibility than conventional hydrogel materials, reducing the risk of corneal hypoxia."

"toric lens"

A contact lens with two different powers in different meridians, designed to correct astigmatism while maintaining stable orientation on the eye

"The patient was fitted with a toric lens that incorporated a prism ballast to prevent rotation during blinking."

"multifocal contact lens"

A contact lens designed to correct both distance and near vision simultaneously, typically used for presbyopic patients

"After several trial pairs, the presbyopic patient achieved satisfactory vision at all distances with centre-distance multifocal contact lenses."

"contact lens-related dry eye"

Discomfort, reduced wearing time, and vision fluctuation caused by insufficient tear film stability during contact lens wear

"The patient reported contact lens-related dry eye symptoms by mid-afternoon, leading to a switch to a daily disposable lens with higher water content."

"microbial keratitis"

A potentially sight-threatening infection of the cornea associated with contact lens wear, caused by bacteria, fungi, or protozoa such as Acanthamoeba

"The patient was referred urgently with suspected microbial keratitis following overnight wear of contact lenses in a river swimming pool."

"orthokeratology"

The use of specially designed rigid gas-permeable lenses worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea and reduce myopia during the following day

"Orthokeratology was recommended for the eleven-year-old as a myopia control strategy that also eliminated the need for daytime spectacles."

"lens replacement schedule"

The prescribed interval at which a contact lens should be discarded and replaced with a fresh lens, ranging from daily to annually

"Patients who exceed their recommended lens replacement schedule are at increased risk of deposits, reduced oxygen transmissibility, and infection."

"intraocular pressure"

The fluid pressure inside the eye, maintained by the balance of aqueous humour production and drainage; elevated IOP is a major risk factor for glaucoma

"Intraocular pressure was measured by Goldmann applanation tonometry at 24 mmHg in the right eye and 22 mmHg in the left."

"optic nerve head"

The visible circular area at the back of the eye where the optic nerve exits, whose structure and cup-to-disc ratio are examined for signs of glaucomatous damage

"OCT imaging of the optic nerve head revealed significant neuroretinal rim thinning consistent with moderate glaucoma."

"cup-to-disc ratio"

The ratio of the diameter of the central cup to the total disc diameter, used to assess optic nerve health; a ratio greater than 0.6 raises suspicion of glaucoma

"The referring optometrist noted a cup-to-disc ratio of 0.7 with asymmetry between the two eyes and referred the patient for further investigation."

"visual field defect"

An area of reduced or absent vision in the patient's field of view, often detected by automated perimetry and characteristic of glaucomatous nerve damage

"The Humphrey visual field test showed an arcuate scotoma in the superior nasal field, corresponding to inferior nerve fibre bundle damage."

"angle-closure glaucoma"

A form of glaucoma in which the drainage angle between the iris and cornea becomes physically blocked, causing a rapid and dangerous rise in intraocular pressure

"The patient presented with acute angle-closure glaucoma, reporting sudden severe eye pain, nausea, and halos around lights."

"ocular hypertension"

Intraocular pressure consistently above the statistically normal range without detectable optic nerve damage or visual field loss, representing a risk factor for developing glaucoma

"The patient was diagnosed with ocular hypertension and enrolled in a monitoring programme with IOP checks every six months."

"target pressure"

The individualised goal IOP set by the clinician to slow or halt glaucoma progression, based on the level of existing damage and the patient's risk factors

"After the patient showed progression on visual fields despite treatment, the ophthalmologist revised the target pressure downward to 12 mmHg."

"prostaglandin analogue"

A class of topical eye drops that reduce intraocular pressure by increasing uveoscleral outflow of aqueous humour; commonly used as first-line glaucoma treatment

"Latanoprost, a prostaglandin analogue administered once daily at night, successfully reduced the patient's IOP from 26 mmHg to 16 mmHg."

"diabetic retinopathy"

A complication of diabetes in which high blood glucose damages the small blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to haemorrhage, exudate, and vision loss

"Screening detected background diabetic retinopathy with hard exudates within one disc diameter of the fovea, warranting urgent ophthalmology referral."

"age-related macular degeneration"

A progressive condition affecting the central retina in older adults, with dry and wet forms that both cause central vision loss

"The 73-year-old patient reported distorted central vision; OCT confirmed the presence of subretinal fluid consistent with wet age-related macular degeneration."

"retinal detachment"

A serious ocular emergency in which the neurosensory retina separates from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium, threatening permanent vision loss

"The patient described a sudden shower of floaters followed by a dark curtain across the vision — classic symptoms of a retinal detachment."

"drusen"

Yellow-white deposits beneath the retinal pigment epithelium, a hallmark early finding of age-related macular degeneration visible on fundus examination

"Soft confluent drusen were noted bilaterally in the macular region, indicating a higher risk of progression to advanced macular degeneration."

"neovascularisation"

The abnormal growth of new, fragile blood vessels in the retina or optic disc, which can leak fluid and blood and cause rapid vision deterioration

"Fluorescein angiography confirmed active neovascularisation at the disc, and anti-VEGF injections were initiated without delay."

"optical coherence tomography"

A non-invasive imaging technique that produces cross-sectional scans of the retina with micron-level resolution, essential for diagnosing and monitoring macular conditions

"Optical coherence tomography revealed intraretinal cysts and subretinal fluid, confirming the diagnosis of central serous chorioretinopathy."

"fundus photography"

A photographic image of the interior surface of the eye, used to document and monitor optic disc appearance, retinal vessels, and pathological changes over time

"Serial fundus photography showed a significant increase in the area of geographic atrophy over the two-year monitoring period."

"vitreous floaters"

Small particles or strands within the vitreous gel that cast shadows on the retina, perceived by the patient as moving spots or threads in their vision

"The patient was reassured that the vitreous floaters were benign following a dilated fundus examination that excluded any associated retinal tears."

"strabismus"

A condition in which the two eyes do not point in the same direction simultaneously, causing one eye to deviate inward, outward, upward, or downward

"The paediatric optometrist detected an intermittent exotropia and referred the child for orthoptic assessment and possible surgical evaluation."

"amblyopia"

Reduced vision in one or both eyes not attributable to structural pathology, resulting from abnormal visual development in early childhood; sometimes called lazy eye

"Amblyopia in the left eye was treated with occlusion therapy, patching the dominant right eye for two hours daily to stimulate visual development."

"stereopsis"

The perception of depth arising from the differences between the images received by the two eyes, allowing objects to be judged as nearer or farther away

"Stereopsis was assessed using the Randot test and found to be reduced at 200 arc seconds, indicating compromised binocular function."

"phoria"

A latent tendency of the eyes to deviate from perfect alignment that is kept in check by the fusion mechanism; only evident when binocular vision is disrupted

"Cover testing revealed an exophoria of 8 prism dioptres at near, which was contributing to the patient's symptoms of eyestrain and blurred vision."

"cover test"

A clinical procedure in which one eye is occluded while the examiner observes the movement of the uncovered eye, used to detect heterophoria and heterotropia

"The unilateral cover test showed a refixation movement of the left eye on uncovering, confirming the presence of a manifest left esotropia."

"convergence insufficiency"

A common binocular vision disorder in which the eyes have difficulty turning inward together to focus on near objects, causing symptoms during sustained near tasks

"The near point of convergence was measured at 18 cm, consistent with convergence insufficiency, and the patient was prescribed a course of vergence exercises."

"suppression"

The active inhibition of the image from one eye by the brain to avoid diplopia or confusion, commonly seen in strabismus and anisometropia

"Worth four-dot testing confirmed suppression of the deviating eye at both near and distance, indicating a risk of amblyopia if left untreated."

"prism prescription"

A lens component that displaces light and is incorporated into spectacle lenses to align the visual axes and relieve symptoms of binocular vision dysfunction

"Four prism dioptres base-in were prescribed in the patient's reading glasses to compensate for the symptomatic exophoria and eliminate headaches."

"slit-lamp examination"

A clinical procedure using a biomicroscope that provides high-magnification illuminated views of the anterior eye structures, including the cornea, lens, and anterior chamber

"Slit-lamp examination revealed a corneal abrasion measuring approximately 3 mm in diameter in the central visual axis."

"anterior chamber depth"

The distance between the posterior surface of the cornea and the anterior surface of the crystalline lens, a key measurement in glaucoma risk assessment

"A shallow anterior chamber depth was identified on Van Herick grading, prompting gonioscopy to rule out a narrow drainage angle."

"corneal staining"

The uptake of fluorescein dye at areas of compromised corneal epithelium, used to detect abrasions, ulcers, dry eye damage, and contact lens-related problems

"Cobalt blue illumination revealed punctate corneal staining in a pattern consistent with exposure keratopathy secondary to incomplete lid closure."

"blepharitis"

Chronic inflammation of the eyelid margins, typically causing redness, crusting, and irritation; anterior blepharitis affects the lash base and posterior blepharitis involves the meibomian glands

"The patient's symptoms of morning grittiness and lid margin redness were consistent with posterior blepharitis caused by meibomian gland dysfunction."

"dry eye disease"

A multifactorial condition characterised by instability of the tear film, ocular surface inflammation, and symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear instability

"The DEWS II questionnaire score and a tear break-up time of three seconds confirmed a diagnosis of dry eye disease requiring lubricant therapy."

"urgent referral"

A prompt referral to an ophthalmologist, typically within 24 hours, for conditions that pose a risk of rapid or permanent vision loss if not treated immediately

"Sudden onset of a dense unilateral visual field defect with an afferent pupillary defect prompted an urgent referral to exclude optic neuritis."

"cataract"

A clouding of the crystalline lens of the eye that reduces visual acuity and contrast sensitivity; the leading cause of treatable blindness worldwide

"The patient's corrected visual acuity had declined to 6/18 due to a dense posterior subcapsular cataract, and she was referred for surgical assessment."

"hypertensive retinopathy"

Changes in the retinal blood vessels caused by systemic high blood pressure, including arteriovenous nipping, flame haemorrhages, and in severe cases, disc oedema

"Grade III hypertensive retinopathy with flame haemorrhages and cotton wool spots was identified, and the patient was sent to the emergency department for immediate blood pressure management."