In our current world, there is a worldwide myopic (nearsighted) phenomenon especially in developed countries. Nearsightedness (myopia) is a common vision condition in which you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing images in front of your retina instead of on your retina.
Nearsightedness may develop gradually or rapidly, often worsening during childhood and adolescence. Nearsightedness tends to run in families.
Nearsightedness symptoms may include blurry vision when looking at distant objects, the need to squint or partially close the eyelids to see clearly, headaches caused by eyestrain, difficulty seeing while driving a vehicle, especially at night (night myopia), nearsightedness is often first detected during childhood and is commonly diagnosed between the early school years through the teens.
A child with nearsightedness may persistently squint, need to sit closer to the television, movie screen or the front of the classroom, seem to be unaware of distant objects, blink excessively, and rub his or her eyes frequently.
In a typically shaped eye, each of these focusing elements has a perfectly smooth curvature, like the surface of a marble. A cornea and lens with such curvature bend (refract) all incoming light to make a sharply focused image directly on the retina. If your cornea or lens isn’t evenly and smoothly curved, light rays don’t refract properly, and you have a refractive error.
Nearsightedness usually occurs when your eyeball is longer than usual, or your cornea is curved too steeply. Instead of being focused precisely on your retina, light is focused in front of your retina, resulting in a blurry appearance for distant objects.
People who do a lot of reading, writing, or computer work may be at increased risk of myopia. The amount of time you spend playing electronic games or watching television also can play a role. Even holding reading material too close has been associated with increased myopia. Some studies support the idea that a lack of time spent outdoors may increase the chances of developing myopia.
Nearsightedness is associated with a variety of complications from mild to severe, such as uncorrected astigmatism can affect your quality of life. You might not be able to perform a task as well as you wish. And your limited vision may detract from your enjoyment of day-to-day activities.
Uncorrected nearsightedness may cause you to squint or strain your eyes to maintain focus. It can lead to eyestrain and headaches. Your safety and that of others will be at risk if you have an uncorrected vision problem. It could be especially dangerous if you are driving a car or operating heavy equipment.
Severe nearsightedness puts you at a slightly increased risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic maculopathy — damage in the central retinal area. The tissues in long eyeballs are stretched and thinned, causing tears, inflammation, new blood vessels that are weak and bleed easily, and scarring.
It’s important to see your eye healthcare professional regularly to help avoid or reduce vision problems. Often, people with vision problems wait far too long before getting an eye exam which further worsens the condition!
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!