Myopia- Introduction

Myopia or nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a condition in which the light coming in, does not fall on the retina, which is at the back of the eye. As a result of this, the objects nearby appear clearly, while the objects in a distance appear out of sight or blurry.

 

It affects 20% to 30% of the population. It is not curable.But the eye disorder can be easily corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery.

Since the people affected can see near objects but not objects a little further away, they do exhibit several unique signs and symptoms, using which other people can identify their problem.

Children do get affected by this and they might not be able to tell about their problem and parents can identify their problems using some basic signs and symptoms. They might report head aches often and can be seen squinting to see objects in a distance.

Myopics often tend to move closer to what they want to see and generally prefer to keep their books very closer to read.

There are many causes for Myopia. It can be hereditary, external environment can play a role. The structure of the eye and the amount of stress it goes through can also act as a reason for Myopia.

It is not completely curable as said before, but the problems can be corrected very easily. Glasses, lenses, exercises and surgeries can help in correcting Myopia to a certain extent.

There are several tests conducted by the eye specialist, like the Visual acuity test, Retinoscope and the use of phoropter. Using these tests the extent of Myopia's effect can be determined and treatment can be carried out based on the results.

More information on Myopia can be seen through the different pages of this blog. The links are present towards the side.