What is myopia?
Myopia, often called nearsightedness, is the ability to see the
detail of close objects more clearly than those at a distance.
Myopia can easily be detected by an eye doctor and corrected with
glasses or contact lenses, but many children with this condition
develop progressive myopia. Progressive myopia is a rapid
advancement of the myopia. This means that over time, their
eyesight will also become progressively poorer. Myopia is often
accompanied by headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue when the person
has to focus on something more than a few feet away.
What causes myopia?
In people with myopia, the eyeball is slightly longer than usual
from front to back. Light rays which make up the images you see
focus in front of, rather than directly on the retina, the
light-sensitive part of the eye. When this happens, objects at a
distance will seem blurry and unclear. For instance, reading street
signs or watching TV may be uncomfortable. Nearsightedness is an
inherited family trait. Sometimes myopia plateaus, but it can also
worsen with age.
Treatments and procedures
Myopia is a refractive error, like astigmatism. It can be
controlled by wearing glasses or contact lenses or for permanent
correction, refractive surgery can be performed. The most common of
these procedures are photorefractive keratotomy (PRK),
laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or implanted corneal
rings.