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Zonal aberration is a focusing problem where different parts of a lens or cornea bend light by different amounts. The center can focus one way while the outer zone focuses another way. This can lower contrast and create blur, glare, or ghosting. It is an optics term, not a disease name.
read more about zonal aberration ...It can come from lens shape, cornea shape, or a mix of both. A larger pupil can bring more of the outer zones into play, which can make symptoms stand out at night. Some corneal conditions and some post-surgery corneas can also show stronger zone differences. Even small irregularities can matter when light is low.
Some people notice halos, starbursts, or glare around lights at night. Others notice soft edges on letters, especially on bright screens. Vision can feel ?less crisp? even when an eye chart score looks decent. Symptoms often change with pupil size and lighting.
Wavefront testing can map higher-order aberrations across the pupil. Corneal topography can show if cornea zones have different curvature patterns. A refraction test can also hint at it when clarity never feels fully sharp. Results are compared with symptoms to decide what matters clinically.
Treating dry eye can reduce scatter and make vision steadier. Updated glasses or contact lenses can help if basic focus is also off. Some specialty contacts, like rigid or scleral lenses, can smooth the front optics in selected cases. If surgery is being considered, a surgeon can discuss how procedure choice and treatment zone relate to night symptoms.
They are related ideas, but not the same thing. Spherical aberration is one specific pattern, while zonal aberration is a broader ?zone-to-zone? mismatch concept.
Often, yes. A larger pupil uses more of the outer optics, which can raise glare or halos. That is why symptoms can feel worse at night.
Some lens designs and strong prescriptions can change how the outer parts of a lens behave. A good lens design and proper fitting usually reduce noticeable problems.
Yes. Surgery can reduce some aberrations and increase others, depending on the eye and the treatment plan. Screening tests and pupil size checks help guide expectations.
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Wavefront Aberration of the Eye: A Review. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1923333/. Date Accessed March 10, 2026.
Clinical Applications of Wavefront Aberrometry - A Review. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19338609/. Date Accessed March 10, 2026.
Spherical aberration: Causes, diagnosis and treatment. All About Vision. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/spherical-aberration/. Date Accessed March 10, 2026.