Myopia is better known as Nearsightedness or Shortsightedness. Myopia is a vision disorder wherein the person can clearly see those objects which are near to him/her. But the objects at a distance appear to be blurred. Myopia is a common eye disorder which is majorly seen in the inhabitants of Asian countries. Myopia initially appears in the eyes of school going children. As they are growing day by day, so also it tends to increase till they reach the age of 20 years.

Myopia is classified in different forms:

By Cause: as per the condition of other elements in eye i.e. cornea, retina, etc…

By Clinical Entity: there are different types of disorder as per their appearance clinically By the level or degree of disorder: differs as per the intensity of the disorder

By age: increase as and when the age increases

Causes

The major cause of development of Myopia is genetically or heredity. If any one of the two parents is suffering from Myopia, then there is a possibility of the child to be Myopic. Researchers have found that Myopia can be either from birth or else can be at any age later.

Factors that may be responsible for developing Myopia

Researchers have found few factors that may increase the possibilities of Myopia in a person. They are as follows:

Heredity or Genetic disorders

Stress to the eyes visually due to prolonged usage of laptops, watching TV at a stretch, having very less distance between the eyes and reading or writing material, etc…

Environmental factors Other Health related issues: Diabetic patients are prone to catch Myopia due to variations in level of blood sugar. Myopia can be caught initially before Cataract.

Signs and Symptoms

Myopia can be easily identified by a person when he/she can see the near objects very clearly, but they fail to see the objects far from them. This sign can aid in detecting Myopia.

The following are the symptoms of Myopia:

Object at a far distance appear to be blurry

Frequent headache due to excessive strain in eyes

Experiencing strain while seeing any object or image

Diagnosis

It is essential to visit an ophthalmologist or an optometrist in order to diagnose the eye problems. In case of Myopia, the optometrist needs to undertake large number of tests in order to detect it. They are:

Eye Examination

Autorefractor Test

Retinoscope Test

Phoropter Test

Eyeglass Test

Treatment

The treatment of Myopia differs from level to level and depends upon intensity of problem. The following are the aids which help in treating Myopia:

Regular use of Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses

Eye exercise, therapies and eye – relaxation techniques

Surgical procedures or refractive measures like PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) and LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratomileusis)

Prevention

It is very essential to prevent Myopia once it is detected. If it increases then it might lead to complete loss of vision. The following are the preventions:

Avoid prolonged work hours

Wash eyes with cool water regularly

Good nutritional rich diet daily

Regular eye exercise daily

Age-Related Macular Degeneration