Nearsightedness is caused by an elongated eyeball, causing objects in the distance to appear blurry. Corrective lenses or refractive surgery can help, but there is no cure.
Nearsightedness, or nearsightedness, is a common vision condition in which a person can see close objects clearly, but objects in the distance appear blurry. Technically known as nearsightedness, nearsightedness is typically caused by an unusually long eyeball, causing light rays to focus too far in front of the retina, or behind the eye, instead of directly on the surface of the retina. Because the light is focused too soon, a blurry image is left on the retina.
Myopia often develops in rapidly growing school-age children and worsens during adolescence, requiring frequent changes of eyeglasses or contact lenses to maintain clear vision. Myopia usually stabilizes when the body stops growing in the early twenties. A person who has developed myopia may experience blurred vision, headaches, eye strain, or squinting frequently. Uncorrected nearsightedness can cause a person to feel fatigued after driving, watching television, or playing sports.
An optometrist or ophthalmologist can confirm the diagnosis of myopia during a comprehensive eye examination. Treatment for this eye condition depends on several factors, including the patient’s age, occupation, and activities. Eye doctors most commonly correct nearsightedness with corrective lenses, such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, which compensate for the eye’s elongated shape and allow light to focus properly on the retina. Depending on the degree of myopia, you may need to wear corrective lenses all the time for clear vision. If the degree of disability is mild, however, glasses or contact lenses may only be needed for activities that require distant vision, such as driving, watching TV, or reading a whiteboard.
Recently, refractive surgery has become a popular option to reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses. The most common type of refractive surgery is laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), in which the surgeon cuts a small flap at the top of the cornea, an excimer laser removes some of the corneal tissue, and the flap is then replaced. Another form of refractive surgery is photorefractive keratectomy (PKR), in which an excimer laser removes a layer of corneal tissue to flatten the cornea. Both procedures allow light rays to focus properly on the retina.
Eye doctors can also treat myopia with orthokeratology, a noninvasive procedure that involves the use of specially designed rigid or semi-flexible gas permeable contact lenses that slowly reshape the curvature of the cornea. Contact lenses are worn while you sleep, and when the lenses are removed in the morning, the cornea temporarily retains its new shape. This allows the patient to see clearly without corrective lenses.
At this time, myopia cannot be cured. However, proper diagnosis, proper eye care, and consistent monitoring of the condition should help put things back into perspective.
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