If you struggle to see things clearly from a distance, you might suffer from nearsightedness, also referred to as nearsightedness. Myopia is becoming an epidemic in the world. Statistics project that around fifty percent of the world’s population will be myopic by 2050. Without effective management, the progression might result in excessive myopia with severe complications affecting ocular alignment and vision. Swati Kumar OD, FAAO, provides effective myopia diagnosis and management to help improve your vision across all distances. Here is an exclusive look at what myopia management is and why it’s important.
What Is Myopia Management?
Myopia, also referred to as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is an eye condition that causes blurred vision for far-distance things. However, as myopia progresses, the blur can be noticeable even at an arm’s distance. Myopia normally begins developing before age ten and becomes worse every several months. It results from eyes growing too quickly and longer than the normal rate. Myopia management is the process of vision correction, including; contact lenses, glasses, or refractive eye surgery that decrease the blurriness.
How Do You Know You Have Myopia?
If you have myopia, you might experience several symptoms. The common myopia symptoms include; headaches, eyestrain, blurry vision, squinting, poor night vision, difficulty seeing far-away objects, regular eye rubbing, and excessive blinking. Individuals with myopia often have to sit close to a movie screen or television or stay in front of the classroom to see clearly. Myopia is associated with environmental and genetic factors. While anyone might develop myopia, this condition often runs in families. Therefore, your risk of developing the condition increases if your parents are nearsighted.
How Is Myopia Diagnosed?
To diagnose nearsightedness, your eye specialist will analyze your symptoms and review your health history. The doctor will then complete a basic eye examination and dilate the pupils to get a comprehensive view of your eyes. Vision testing involves refraction assessments in which you look through several collective lenses. You will also be asked to read letters and numbers on an eye chart from a distance. The tests enable your eye doctor to diagnose your vision prescription.
What Are the Available Myopia Management Treatments?
If you are diagnosed with myopia, your doctor might recommend contact lenses, eyeglasses, atropine treatment, or refractive surgery. Contact lenses are placed on the surface of your eyes to correct vision issues. However, if you prefer glasses over contact lenses, your provider will give customized eyeglass lenses that fit your vision prescription. For higher prescriptions, full-time wear will be needed. But if you have a lower prescription, you might only require to wear the glasses for activities that need distance vision.
Atropine treatment involves eye drops that dilate your pupils and help slow the progression of nearsightedness. In some cases, your doctor might decide to recommend refractive surgery. This procedure uses laser technology to reshape your cornea and enhance vision without needing contact lenses or glasses.
If you struggle to see clearly from afar, you might have myopia. If not treated, the condition can advance into severe stages and even increase the risk of developing other ocular diseases such as glaucoma or cataracts. Fortunately, regular vision therapy, eye exams, and myopia management can restore clear vision while reducing your risk of developing ocular diseases.