Nearsightedness or myopia
For a nearsighted person, close objects are clear, but distant objects—such as a school blackboard, a street sign, or a face across a room—are blurred and difficult to distinguish. Over 25% of adults worldwide are nearsighted.
Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed.
What is the cause of nearsightedness?
Technically known as myopia, nearsightedness occurs when the eye is unusually long, a shape that causes light rays to focus too far in front of the retina. An inherited condition, it is often discovered when children are 8 to 12 years old. During the teenage years, when the body is growing rapidly, nearsightedness gets worse. Then between ages 20 and 40 there is little change.
People who are severely nearsighted have a higher risk of having a detached retina.
Myopia – How can it be treated?
People who are nearsighted can have their vision corrected by several means, including:
- Glasses
- Contact lenses
- Surgery: laser surgery, radial Keratotomy
- Orthokeratology (Vision Shaping Treatment)
