An Overview of Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Have you been diagnosed with myopia? Do you really know what it is and what this signifies for your life? The following is an overview of myopia, and may shed some light on the condition, and what your options are. Myopia is a defect some people have in their vision, and is also known as nearsightedness. This means people can see up to a certain distance but have a hard time seeing things that are further away. Objects that are far away seem out of focus and fuzzy. People who suffer from this defect can’t see the white board while in a classroom. They can’t see road signs or cars that are far away when driving. In most patients, myopia is diagnosed in childhood, even as young as three or four years old. There are many types of treatment for myopia and these may include glasses, contacts, and eye strengthening exercises. For some, even these are not enough or not practical enough. In these cases, LASIK surgery or another laser eye surgery option is suggested. There are natural healers that believe there are alternative methods to treating nearsightedness. They believe that myopia is not a condition that people are born with, but it is caused by the environment and overwork. They suggest eye exercises and controlling the light that comes into the eye. There are no definitive studies that prove this has any positive effects on myopia. Most eye doctors will only prescribe either glasses or contacts. There are even contact lenses that temporarily reshape the cornea during the night allowing the person to go without glasses during the day. Hopefully this overview of myopia has enlightened you as to what the condition is and what the potential treatment options are. The treatment a patient decides to take really depends on his or her lifestyle, how much he or she wants to spend, and what his or her needs are. To learn more about various eye conditions, conductive keratoplasty (CK), Epi-LASIK, or monovision, we encourage you to speak with our skilled LASIK surgeon near Portland, Oregon.