Myopia or Nearsightedness
What is Myopia?
Myopia is a refractive error faced my many people. It is not a disease but rather a condition caused by irregular eye shape. People with myopia are able to see objects close up clearly but objects at a distance seem blurry. There are several ways to handle myopia including eyeglasses, contact lenses, and surgery.
Causes of Myopia
Myopia occurs because the eyeball is longer than normal. This causes the image to focus in front of the retina rather that on it. People with myopia see close objects clearly but distant objects appear blurred. Myopia is usually a hereditary condition that is detected during childhood and continues to worsen until it finally stabilizes, usually in adulthood.
Myopia Treatments
People with myopia usually are able to see a little better by squinting. This is caused by the different amount of light refracted into the eyes. All treatments for myopia have this same goal. Eyeglasses, contacts and different surgeries all have the goal of correcting this refraction error.
Eyeglasses and contacts are usually the first treatment people use for myopia. Depending on the degree of myopia, other techniques maybe used. Laser assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK), or LASIK Eye Surgery , is the most popular surgery used to treat myopia. In this procedure the shape of the cornea is measured and changed to fix the degree of myopia using a laser. An alternative to LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy, PRK for short, uses the same concept of reshaping the cornea but uses different procedures. Non surgical treatments include Orthokeratology and Corneal Ring Segments. People with lower degrees of myopia are better suited for these techniques. Orthokeratology uses RGP contact lenses to gradually and temporarily reshape the curvature of the cornea. Corneal ring segments are small polymer plastic materials that are implanted into the cornea to reshape it for corrected vision. Phakic Intraocular Lenses such as Verisyse is a surgical method that is best suited for high degrees of myopia. It involves implanting a corrective lens much like a contact inside the eye. No eye tissue is destroyed in this procedure. New treatments and clinical studies are being developed for correction of myopia. With advancement in technology and medicine, better treatment for each specific individual is possible.
[Page updated 1/2011]
