Many people suffer from myopia, a well-known vision disorder that often causes headaches, eyestrain and red eyes. As we will see below, people who are diagnosed with myopia tend to see blurry from afar, so various day-to-day activities can be uncomfortable and frustrating.
What is myopia
Myopia is a refractive error of the eye, which is why people who suffer from this condition can see perfectly well what is close to them, but not those objects or things that are far away.
This failure is caused by a lack of refraction of light in the eye; the light is not focused as it should and the images are not perceived clearly to the eyes of the myopic person. This usually happens because the lens, cornea, or both are too powerful, or because the eye is longer than it should be. However, you should know that myopia is not considered a disease , but a disorder of the eye's focus.
How the myopic see
Have you ever wondered how myopic people see? Well, the truth is that in people who have totally healthy vision, the light is focused directly on the retina, while in those who suffer from myopia, the image is focused before reaching the retina , not on it, which is why which produces blurred and distorted vision when trying to see objects in the distance. Consequently, people with myopia tend to get very close to the television, mobile phones and computers, etc.
In addition, it is possible that myopic people feel rejection towards activities such as outdoor sports, computer games or other routines, since for them this is a frustrating and tiring effort. Myopes tend to see people with blurred faces if they are not close, just as they see objects without details and buildings without form.
So that you can see it more graphically, below we show you an image of how myopic people see a blackboard without and with glasses.
Types of myopia
In general, three types of myopia can be distinguished:
- Simple myopia : it is said of patients who have less than 6 diopters (unit that expresses the refractive power of a lens) and it is the most frequent. It stabilizes around 18 or 20 years.
- Magna myopia : it is said of patients that exceed 6 diopters and is produced by an elongation of the eyeball. This can seriously affect the vision of people who suffer from it.
- Congenital myopia : appears in the newborn due to alterations in the structures that make up the eye. It has a genetic origin and is hereditary, although it can also appear in some premature births.
Although the appearance of myopia is often unavoidable, at OneHOWTO we advise you to take a look at this article on How to take care of your eyesight to prevent eye diseases .
Can myopia be corrected? Myopia treatment
Before you can determine which nearsightedness treatment you need, you'll need to go to your ophthalmologist and determine what type of nearsightedness you have. To diagnose you, the professional will sit you at a certain distance from a panel called an optotype, which is made up of numbers and letters that decrease in size as more rows are downloaded. You will have to identify the digits in front of you first with one blindfolded eye and then with the other.
Are you wondering if myopia can be corrected? Luckily for those who suffer from this problem, there are different types of treatments to correct it:
- Glasses or contact lenses : Glasses or contact lenses are the most frequent solution to myopia. It is a simple, fairly inexpensive and flexible option, making it the first choice for many individuals.
- Orthokeratology : if you thought that correcting vision and avoiding the constant use of glasses was impossible, you were very wrong. Orthokeratology lenses slow down the growth of myopia by up to 45% while following, you can see clearly. Many prefer this solution to contact lenses or glasses because it saves them the discomfort of having to wear something in their eyes during the day.
- Refractive surgery : in any case, it should be the ophthalmologist who, through an examination and subsequent diagnosis, indicates which operation is the most suitable for you. The most common surgeries are intraocular lens implantation, laser eye surgery (LASIK), and photo reflective keratotomy (PRK).
