Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a widespread vision condition. Studies estimate that more than 40% of people in the United States have it.
While it may seem like a minor inconvenience, untreated myopia can have long-term consequences for your eye health and overall well-being. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for myopia is crucial for maintaining clear vision and protecting your eyes.
What is Myopia?
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common refractive error that makes distant objects appear blurry. Myopia typically occurs because light isn’t bending properly into the retina.
This can happen for many reasons, such as a longer eyeball shape or a steep cornea. Nearsightedness typically develops in childhood, between ages 6 and 14.
It can worsen during adolescence but usually stabilizes between ages 20 and 40. Rarely, a severe form of nearsightedness called degenerative myopia can cause worsening far vision into adulthood.
Types of Myopia
Myopia is divided into three categories based on severity—low myopia (-3.00 D or less), moderate myopia (-3.25 to -6.00 D), and severe myopia (more than -6.00 D).
Generally, people with low myopia only need to wear glasses to see far away. Those with moderate to severe myopia must wear glasses full-time since they can only see objects close to their faces.
Nearsighted people over 40 will notice they cannot see up close while wearing their glasses. As we age, our eyes lose the ability to focus on nearby objects, a condition called presbyopia. These people can remove their glasses to read, or they may choose to wear bifocal or progressive eyeglasses.
What Causes Myopia?
As mentioned before, myopia can be caused by many factors. For example, it’s a genetic condition, so the risk of myopia is higher in children with nearsighted parents.
Degenerative myopia is rare, but it can cause severe nearsightedness. It can increase your risk of glaucoma, retinal detachment, and Choroid neovascularization (abnormal blood vessels in the eye).
External factors can also influence myopia. Research shows that the prevalence of myopia is higher among people who frequently do near-work activities like reading or computer use.
What are the Symptoms of Myopia?
Symptoms vary depending on how strong your prescription is. For reference, diopters (D) are the units eye doctors use to measure eye prescriptions.
General symptoms of nearsightedness include:
- Blurred vision when looking at faraway objects
- Clear vision when looking at nearby objects
- Eye strain
- Squinting
- Headaches
How is Myopia Diagnosed?
Most cases of myopia are diagnosed in childhood. Because children won’t necessarily complain of blurry vision, routine vision screenings are important.
If your child can’t read the letters on an eye chart, an ophthalmologist can use a retinoscope. This device allows doctors to measure where light is aimed inside the eye. An ophthalmologist can use this measurement to determine your child’s eyeglass prescription.
Meanwhile, diagnosing myopia in adults requires a basic eye exam which includes:
- Refraction assessment. Helps doctors diagnose refractive errors by making you look through various lenses to check close-up and distance vision.
- Eye health exam. Uses eye drops to dilate your pupils. Dilation helps your doctor get a better view of the inside of your eyes.
How to Manage and Prevent Myopia
Regular eye exams are crucial for managing myopia and can help detect the early signs of eye conditions related to it. Glasses or contact lenses can help light focus correctly onto the retina, providing clear vision.
Limiting screen time and taking frequent breaks from computer screens can also help. A helpful tip is the 20-20-20 rule, which involves taking a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away after 20 minutes of computer use.
Other studies found that spending more time outside in natural light may slow or prevent myopia. Because of this, eye doctors recommend that children spend less time looking at screens and more time outdoors.
What are the Risks of Myopia?
Severe myopia not only affects your ability to see but can increase your risk for certain eye diseases, including:
Without treatment, mild to moderate myopia can affect your daily life, resulting in difficulties in school, impaired safety when driving or operating machinery, chronic eye strain, and headaches.
Treatment Options for Myopia
The most common treatment for myopia is vision correction with glasses or contact lenses. However, depending on the severity of your nearsightedness, your treatment may require refractive surgery:
- LASIK. Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) involves cutting a small flap in your cornea to reshape it with a laser.
- LASEK. Laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) is similar to LASIK but creates a thin flap in the outermost layer of your corneal (epithelium) before reshaping it.
- PRK. Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) involves completely removing the epithelium before reshaping your cornea.
Special contact lenses, such as orthokeratology (ortho-k) and multifocal contact lenses, can also slow the progression of myopia. Additionally, atropine eye drops may slow the progression of nearsightedness.
Other Surgical Options for Myopia
Laser eye surgery is FDA-approved to treat up to -12.00 D of myopia. In some cases, if your prescription is high and your corneas are too thin, you may not be eligible for laser eye surgery.
Instead, your surgeon may perform one of the following procedures:
- RLE. Refractive lens exchange removes the natural lens of your eye and replaces it with an artificial one. This surgery is ideal for patients who may develop cataracts.
- Phakic intraocular lens implant. A procedure that places an artificial lens in front of your natural lens instead of removing it. Excellent for high myopia.
Remember, regular eye exams are crucial for detecting and managing myopia. By seeking timely treatment and taking preventive measures, you can maintain clear vision and reduce your risk of associated eye problems.
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