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Myopia

Myopia is a condition where a person is unable to see objects that are at a distance from them. Also known as short-sightedness, it occurs when the eyeball elongates to such an extent that the light entering the eye no more refracts through the lens properly. This in turn, causes the light rays to inappropriately reach the retina, leading to blurred vision. This condition occurs in 3.19% people under the age of fifteen, while 20% of people above the age of 15 years suffer from it in India.

Read about top 8 interesting facts about the human eye.

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Causes

Dr Devesh Sharma, Consultant, Cornea & Anterior segment, Amritsar Eye Clinic, Dehradun says, ‘Myopia is an eye condition where you can see objects near you very clearly, but far away objects seem hazy or blurry. This happens when the power of the eye to converge rays of light onto the retina (the back part of the eye that is responsible for vision) is greater than normal.’

Read about 14 causes of blurred vision you might not know.

Risk Factors

‘Myopia is usually a hereditary condition, and may run in families. Often the parents, grandparents, or siblings of a patient may also found to have this condition. Apart from this, eyestrain due to working for long hours on the computer or too much reading also increases the risk of suffering from myopia, even in adults, says Dr Sharma.

Here are4 easy tips to prevent eye strain and computer vision syndrome.

Symptoms

Myopic patients are unable to see distant objects clearly, although they can see nearer objects better. This condition is often diagnosed in childhood. Children may complain of not being able to clearly see the words on the blackboard or images on the movie screen or television. Parents need to be aware of the fact that if their child is not performing well at school or is disinterested in sports or other activities, poor eyesight due to myopia may be the reason.

Read about 5 common vision problems your child could suffer from.

Diagnosis

This condition is usually diagnosed at the age of 8 to 12 years of age. The most common refractive error that people suffer from is myopia or nearsightedness. Your eye doctor will diagnose refractive errors during comprehensive dilated eye examination that involves visual acuity test with a retinoscope and phoropter. Here’s what you should about different eye tests that form a part of routine eye examination.


  • Visual acuity test: This test checks your vision with the help of Snellen chart. The Snellen chart is used where you will be asked to read random letters that become smaller line by line as your eyes move down the chart.

  • Diopter test or Refraction test: This test is done to see if you need glasses. If you are approaching 40 years of age or more and find it difficult to read close up, the doctor will place several lenses in front of your eye (or use a special device called refractor attached to your chair), one at a time, and ask you when the letters on the Snellen chart become easier to see.

  • Retinal examination: It involves checking the back of your eye by giving eye drops to dilate your pupils to view the structures in the back of the eye.


Here’s why should you visit an eye doctor regularly.

Treatment

Dr Sharma says, ‘At present there are no medicines as such that can treat myopia. For vision improvement, one has to use glasses or contact lenses. However, there are surgical options available to correct your vision.’ Here are 10 tips to choose the right glasses for your eyes.

Apart from glasses and contact lenses, the other treatment options to regain your vision include -

LASIK: It is a popular technique that utilises laser to correct the refractive power of the eye so that rays of light are focused clearly onto the retina of the eye. Here’s everything you should know about LASIK: Procedure and post-operative care.

Phakic lenses: For patients with very high numbers, LASIK may not be possible. For them, there are options like phakic lenses- wherein a lens of appropriate power to correct myopia is placed inside the eye.

Read more about 10 dos and don’ts for contact lens care.

 

The content has been verified by Dr Devesh Sharma, Consultant, Cornea & Anterior segment, Amritsar Eye Clinic, Dehradun.

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