In our previous article “Do you know what refractive errors are?”, We define myopia as a condition that affects the eye in identifying or seeing distant objects clearly.
The word “myopia” comes from a Greek word meaning “closed eyes”, which is one of the characteristics of people who suffer from it, as they tend to slightly close their eyes in order to reduce the depth of focus and improve distance vision. Also known as “pinhole effect”.
Cause of Myopia
Myopia can be caused by heredity. Myopia often develops in children from the age of eight to ten years and increases during adolescence with growth, which can lead to the need for frequent changes of eyeglasses. Then in adulthood, it becomes stable: probably from 20 to 40 years of age there are not significant changes, but from the age of 60 it can come back, coinciding with the onset of cataracts.
Even though family history is the most important factor, there may be many others that affect their development such as reading or doing any activity near vision activity in low light, or have nutritional deficiencies.
A cause of extension and distance
People who suffer from myopia find it impossible to see distant objects clearly. When the eyeball has a greater length, i.e., the eye describes a more oval than rounded shape, it affects the lens, which is like a convex lens behind the iris that helps to focus our vision at different distances. Less often, myopia can be caused by a change in curvature of the cornea or a change in the form of the lens.
Solutions and treatments
If you think you might suffer from myopia, have a consultation with your ophthalmologist or make a visit to your optician so that they can give you a diagnosis and provide the best treatment. And if you know that you suffer from it, do not forget to make frequent revisions, particularly when you’re growing.
- The most commonly option for the treatment of myopia are glasses or contact lenses to restore the focus of light on the retina.
- The study of surgical treatment and research through various techniques of refractive surgery continues to advance. Currently the best known is called LASIK, in which a laser molds and corrects the curvature of the cornea with great effectiveness.
- Intraocular lenses are another alternative, especially suitable for high myopia or in cases of very thin cornea, where the laser cannot be applied.
In any case, it is best to consult a specialist, that through various tests will determine from which vision problem you suffer and determine its magnitude. Your optician or ophthalmologist will give you a prescription for glasses (refraction test) with all parameters.
