What term describes an uncorrected refractive error?

The term that describes an uncorrected refractive error is commonly known as asthenopia. Asthenopia refers to visual discomfort or fatigue that occurs due to long periods of straining the eyes, often resulting from uncorrected visual acuity issues such as refractive errors.

When an individual's eyes cannot efficiently focus light on the retina, either due to nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, they may experience symptoms like headaches, blurred vision, and overall eye strain. While other terms such as myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism (blurred vision due to an irregular eye shape), and amblyopia (a condition where one eye does not develop normal vision) refer to specific types of refractive errors or visual conditions, asthenopia specifically encompasses the discomfort and symptoms arising from these uncorrected errors in a more general sense. Thus, when discussing uncorrected refractive errors broadly, the term asthenopia effectively captures the experience of visual discomfort associated with them.