Myopia: Frequently Asked Questions

Myopia: Frequently Asked Questions

You may have observed people who is reading a newspaper or books very close to their eyes, seen them asking what was written on the board in a shop or people who was approaching them from a distance. These are very common characteristics of myopic people or people with defective eye sight.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is a very common eye disorder and is prevalent in people below the age of 40. However, it can happen at any age to any human being irrespective of gender. Generally, it is an eye condition where a person can’t see distant objects. Only when the things are held closer to the eyes, they can read and discern about the object. It is also called nearsightedness or short-sightedness. It is also calculated that by the end of 2050, half the global population will be myopic.

What are the causes of Myopia?

1. Less exposure to natural light: When people are lack of exposed to natural sunlight, the eyeballs will probably be elongated. It will  generally increased the size of eyeballs from the normal size which is the main cause of myopia. The poor orientation of eyeballs will affect the cornea and lens.

2. Too many time spend on smart devices: If people have spent too much time on laptops and mobile phones then the cornea will get weakened and it will unable to adjust properly which is another cause of myopia.When eyeballs and cornea become weak, it is very obvious that the image information on the retina will also be improper. The inability of the retina to form a sharp image can cause myopia too.

Is Myopia hereditary?

If you think that eye disorder like myopia occurs over time in people due to long hours of work and strain then you might be wrong. It is strange to know that myopia could have genetic links too. Many scientific reports have concluded that if parents have myopia then it can be heritable to the children as well. Studies have shown that the higher rates of myopia existed in those children whose parents were myopic too. Therefore, the risk of myopia is higher in a myopic family. 

People having myopic background may have lived in similar environmental conditions. So it can also be concluded that more than the genes, the environment plays an equivalent role. Also, people belonging to different ethnic groups have shown variation in myopic conditions living in different geographical areas. Along with the genes, the environment plays a key role in influencing the genetic system. Sometimes the gene responsible for causing myopia can get affected by the environment. It can cause activation or suppression of such genes. Heredity along with the environment are potential causes of myopia. 

Myopia syndromes

Myopia can adversely affect the lives of myopic people. The day-to-day activities related to eyes can be difficult to perform and tremendous work can also stress out your eyes too.

• Inability to see clearly: The eyes are so tired and weak so that clear vision is prevented. It refrains you from reading, writing, watching TVs and using smart devices.
• Frequent headaches: Attempt to focus on blurry sight could cause headaches. Such headaches will disturb frequently and break concentration at work and daily exercise.
• Reduced capacity: Due to the reduced ability of eyes, the capacity to work also gradually decreases. When a person is unable to see what he/she reads and writes clearly, it would be impossible to do any work efficiently. For the people who have to do hand-made jobs like fine arts, handicrafts, painting and stitching suffer due to poor eye sight.

Can kids’ myopia be cured?

The answer is yes but before treatment, it is important to rightly diagnose the condition. For diagnosis, the procedure is very simple. Children can be screened for vision at the clinic or school. During screening or any visual activity, a myopic child would display significant refractive error. Techniques such as auto-refraction and photo-screening can easily detect myopia in children. 

After the myopia disorder gets detected in the eyes of children through the final and gold standard method of a cycloplegic refraction, it is necessary to take proper steps to minimize the bad effects.

How can you control and treat Myopia?

1. The most common and general method to correct the vision problem in the myopic patient is to provide a concave lens which can be used to diverge the incoming light in the eyes. The focal point is adjusted in front of the retina. Contact lens is the second option for treatment for children which comes with the baggage of infection, mismanagement, and cost. 
2. Surgery is another impactful treatment method for this problem. Refractive surgery at the right point can secure the vision. Such surgeries are good for children with neurological disorders. Keratorefractive surgeries are specialized surgeries. It is done with the help of lasers. It aims to bring cornea back to its normal shape and provide normal vision. Successful surgeries help the myopic people to get rid of the glasses and contact lenses forever. 
3. Overnight contact lenses are used by myopic patients to apply pressure on the cornea and fix it back to normal. It has shown very positive effects on some users. However, more study and data is yet to be shared on its large scale use.
4. If you are young and vibrant with a perfect pair of eyes then you must take special care of them. Outdoor activities like playing games, sports, and walking around can keep your eyes healthy. The amount of light that enters into the eyes when children are outdoor keeps them myopic free. Good light in the eyes reduces the chances of blur images and defective picture formation. Dopamine is released from the retina when a significant amount of light enters the eyes. Dopamine is known for inhibiting the growth of the eyes thus balancing great vision.
5. Children who experience low daily light in their eyes have poor vision and complaints of regular headaches. Children exposed to less light had more growth in their eyes, as a result, myopic eyes were more prevalent in them. It is highly recommended that schools must include sports classes every day. This would not just give them physical fitness of the body but also save their eyes from the unseen damage. Longer outdoor activities must be promoted at home as well. Adults should try to remain out with children for mutual benefits.
6. A healthy and nutritious diet rich in Vitamin A and proteins is another  important method. Keep nourishing your eyes with right amount of nutrients. Get regularly checked- up by the opticians. If regular headaches after work bother you then get medical help. Do not take eye irritation, itching, and watery eyes lightly. Take major steps and preventive measures to secure vision of your eyes for a lifetime.

Myopia is a curable defect. Science has made it possible through a number of novel methods. Thinking that it won’t get cured will only worsen the condition. Ignoring the fact that you or somebody close to you have myopia is the worst of all scenarios. Take care of your eyes and the eyes of people you love and look through each other.