Myopia
Light rays focus on front of the retina
What exactly is myopia?
Myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common refractive error of the eye, appearing in early childhood and usually becoming noticeable during school period, when the demand for distance vision increases. In myopia, light rays do not focus on the retina, as they should (emmetropia), but instead focus in front of it.
What are the symptoms of myopia?
The primary symptom of myopia is blurred vision for distant objects (a myopic person cannot see well at a distance and often squints to see clearly at far distances).
What are the causes of myopia?
Myopia is due to:
Increased refractive power of the eye, when the cornea (the front layer) is more curved than normal – refractive myopia
An increased anterior – posterior axis of the eye – axial myopia
A combination of the above
It is not entirely clear if myopia is hereditary, however congenital myopia has been observed. It usually stabilizes after age 20, and clinical studies show that activities such as reading, working on a computer or tablet contribute to worsening the refractive error. Additionally, hormonal changes during pregnancy can alter the degree (diopters) of myopia. Finally, there is also the type of degenerative myopia, where high diopters lead to degenerative alterations in ocular structures, increasing the risk of retinal detachment.
What are the treatment options for myopia?
Myopia can be managed in the following ways:
Use of vision glasses
Application of contact lenses
Surgical implantation of a phakic intraocular lens (ICL) in cases of extremely high myopia, where the use of excimer laser is not recommended
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Get rid of glasses and contact lenses for good. Laser refractive procedures are the most popular surgical procedures for correcting common refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism), offering excellent post-operative results.