Myopia is a common disorder that is usually diagnosed before the age of 20. This is where people have a difficult time seeing things that are far away but can see elements near them perfectly fine. There are a ton of people who have this condition and the way out of is to wear glasses, and lenses, or go for surgery. This is already something common among people but, it is seen to be growing faster in school-going children as well. There are tons of ways how you can reduce the chances of getting myopia. However, the top reason why this is becoming so common among children is due to reading or using smartphones.
Myopia is a minor diagnosis and people can have their vision back if they try to do so. However, in some rare cases, people might develop degenerative myopia which can be very serious and can lead to legal blindness. This affects 2% of the population which is very less. There are some ways how you can get to know you have myopia. The first way is if you have trouble seeing elements that are far away. The second is if you need to squint to look at something and lastly if you feel an eye strain. Some people will also get headaches but the majority do not.
What Are the Common Causes of Myopia?
One of the biggest causes that people claim is that it is inherited. This means that if your parents had myopia then there are higher chances of you getting it as well. However, some eye specialists say that the exact cause of myopia is unknown and it can be a mix of hereditary as well as environmental factors. Therefore, it is possible that you can take myopia from your parents as well. Whereas, on the other side some environmental factors will take on the cause of your myopia.
However, the scientific cause of what happens in myopia is when your eyeball grows longer than normal from the front to the back. This can also happen due to another cause which is when the shape of your cornea or lens curves out too much. This creates a problem when it comes to light being refracted. Hence, this is known as refractive error. This happens when both, the length of your eyeball and the shape of your cornea are curved. Instead of the light being focused on your retina, it focuses in front of your retina which creates a hindrance in seeing far objects.
The Different Types of Myopia
Myopia is usually of one type only but some classify them into 2 different groups. By classifying them into 2 different groups, this does not mean that the condition will change into a different one.
High Myopia
The first type of myopia is known as high myopia. This is a rare case and it is mainly inherited. The level of myopia is high which is why it is known as high myopia. This usually happens when your eyeballs grow extensively longer and the corner also curves more than usual. In numbers, high myopia is described as those having -6. This can worsen as well which leads to an increase in myopia. The worst thing about this is that it starts getting worse between the ages of 20 and 30. The bright side to this is that you can fix high myopia through surgery.
If you are unwilling to go through the surgery then you can always opt for glasses or contact lenses. Hence, if you are someone who has high myopia then there are high chances that your kids will carry that as well. However, this can also lead to your kids having a much more serious condition about sight later in life. This should be treated because if not then it can lead to blindness. Therefore, you should have regular eye checkups to ensure that you are improving your vision.
Degenerative Myopia
This is a rare case but it usually begins in childhood. This is a very severe form of myopia because it damages the retina and also leads to legal blindness. Over time, it worsens which then leads to blindness.
Why Does Myopia Get Worse with Age?
Myopia is something that will worsen as age goes on. This happens mainly during the growth years of a person such as a pre-teen and the teen years. This is where the body grows quickly and there are a ton of changes that happen. Hence, this leads to your myopia getting worse. The main reason why it worsens a lot is because of the changes that occur on the surface of your cornea. This can be done by dryness or any injuries as well. This can happen at any age which is why it is said to grow as you grow older.
However, at the age of 20, myopia will be steady. It can increase or decrease after the age of 20 as well but it will not be as significant. One thing to notice is that if an adult develops myopia then it will mainly be because of any disease such as diabetes or cataracts. It can also be because of visual stress by doing activities that need to have a close-up or by spending a lot of time on the computer. Hence, these things will create some level of myopia.
The Different Forms of Treatment for Myopia
Myopia can be treated in different ways. However, you should take note that different levels of myopia will be catered to by different levels of techniques and medication. The best way for children to sort out their myopia is by wearing glasses or contact lenses. This is something adults can do as well. If you are someone who has myopia, your prescription glasses or contact lenses will be a negative number. The higher the number, the stronger your lenses.
Eyeglasses
This is a popular way to fix your vision. There is no sort of surgery or eye drops you need when it comes to eyeglasses. Your glasses will depend on the level of your vision. Some people wear it daily whereas some do not. Whereas, others might need it for when they are doing a specific activity like driving. All of these instructions will be given to you by your doctor. Moreover, numerous people turn to wearing eyeglasses because it adds to the fashion as well.
Contact Lenses
Some people tend to find that their distance vision is sharper and wider when they are wearing contact lenses. Therefore, they opt for this. There are numerous other reasons why people might go for contact lenses. The first being is that you won't have to wear glasses which add weight to the face. Another is that some might find it uncomfortable and they don’t like the look of it. If you are going to opt for contact lenses then you need to ensure that you are taking good care of them. As they go into the eye, you need to clean them daily with the contact lens solution. Moreover, you cannot wear contact lenses permanently.
Ortho-k or CRT
Some people have mild myopia. These people may be patients for some temporary corneal refractive lenses. This is something that you wear when you are going to bed so that it reshapes the cornea temporarily. This is done for long enough so that your daily activities can be carried out.
LASIK
This is a laser-assisted procedure and it is the most common laser surgery. This will correct your myopia to a higher level. Your surgeon will use a laser to cut a flap through the top of the cornea. Then they will reshape the inner corneal tissue so that your cornea is in the right place and lastly, they will place the flap back into place. You will have to take good care of your eyes after the procedure. There will be some eye drops that you will need to put on so that your eye heals in time.
LASEK
This is another laser procedure. However, this differs from the first one because your surgeon will use a laser to cut a flap through the top layer which is known as the epithelium of the cornea. Then they will reshape the inner corneal tissue and lastly fix the flap back in place. You will be granted eye drops in every eye procedure that you go through.
PRK
This is also known as photorefractive keratectomy. This is also a laser eye surgery but it is used to correct mild or moderate myopia. The special thing about this treatment is that it can also cure farsightedness and vision. In this procedure, your doctor will use a laser to reshape the surface of your cornea. This will flatten which will then allow light rays to focus on the retina where it is supposed to focus. Hence, unlike the other two surgeries, the doctor will not cut open a flap.
Final Words:
Learn the best ways to get rid of Myopia, eyeglasses, treatments, and other amazing methods are listed for your help. Contact lenses and wearing eyeglasses are the easiest ways to get rid of this.
