The 411 On Myopia

Vision is important for your physical and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, most people do not place enough time or energy into understanding the importance of their underlying eye health and vision quality. While surprising to learn, an estimated 40 percent of the population has myopia. Also known as nearsightedness, myopia is expected to affect even more individuals over time. Even though it is so common, you may not understand the signs and treatment options for myopia. This guide will give you the 411 on myopia.

Symptoms

Most people with myopia experience symptoms that affect their vision, but this decrease in their vision will also affect their daily life.

If you have blurred vision when looking at distant objects and struggle seeing while driving during the day and at night, you most likely are nearsighted.

In addition, myopia can cause you to squint to see more clearly. You may also experience headaches due to your constant straining of the eyes.

Causes

To understand how a person develops myopia, you need to understand the anatomy of the eye.

The cornea and the lens are the most imperative components of your eye and vision. The cornea is the clear surface of the eye that is shaped like a dome while the lens is a small clear dome that is located beneath the cornea, more inside the eye.

If the cornea is too curved, light will not refract off the lens properly, resulting in blurred vision when viewing distant objects that is associated with myopia.

Treatment

A basic eye exam is sufficient for diagnosing myopia. If your eye doctor believes you are nearsighted, you will have a few options to treat the condition.

Prescription lenses are the most common form of treatment. Prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses will correct the vision by improving the way light is refracted between the cornea and lens.

Both prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses will need to be worn when you are attempting to see at farther distances. Therefore, you may need to wear glasses or contacts while driving, especially, or when watching television, when at the movies, or anytime when you need to see objects farther away.

If you are not comfortable wearing glasses or contacts, your doctor may suggest refractive surgery, such as Lasik. Patients remain awake, yet numb, during Lasik surgery. The procedure involves making a small incision, allowing your ophthalmologist to remove layers of the cornea to create a flatter shape. This improves the manner in which light refracts, correcting myopia.

Living with a vision impairment is not life-threatening, but it can affect your life. This guide will help you understand the signs, causes, and treatment options for myopia. To learn more, talk with someone who specializes in ophthalmology.