Contents
What is myopia?
Myopia – This is an eye disease in which a person sees poorly objects located far away, but sees well those objects that are close. Nearsightedness is also called myopia.
Our eyes have a cornea and a lens. These component eyes are able to transmit rays, refracting them. And an image appears on the retina. Then this image becomes nerve impulses and is transmitted along the optic nerve to the brain.
If the cornea and lens refract the rays so that the focus is on the retina, then the image will be clear. Therefore, people without any eye diseases will see well.
With myopia, the image is blurry and fuzzy. This may happen for the following reasons:
– if the eye is greatly elongated, then the retina moves away from a stable focus location. With myopia in humans, the eye reaches thirty millimeters. And in a normal healthy person, the size of the eye is twenty-three – twenty-four millimeters; – if the lens and cornea refract light rays too much.
According to statistics, every third person on earth suffers from myopia, that is, myopia. It is difficult for such people to see objects that are far from them. But at the same time, if a book or notebook is located close to the eyes of a person who suffers from myopia, then he will see these objects well.
Is myopia a plus or a minus?
Often, having heard the diagnosis of myopia for the first time, patients have a natural question: “What glasses are required for vision correction – minus or plus”. In order to better see objects located in the distance, it is necessary to wear glasses marked minus. Thus, it will be possible to correct the distance between the retina and the focus.
The lenses used in glasses to correct myopia are called diverging or negative lenses. They have a concave shape. Only an ophthalmologist can determine the number of minuses, or in another way – the strength in diopters. It depends, first of all, on the state of vision and the degree of myopia – low, moderate or severe.
Symptoms of myopia
Symptoms of myopia are eye fatigue when driving a car or while playing sports. If these are the symptoms that bother you when you wear glasses or contact lenses, then you should be examined by a doctor and possibly change glasses or lenses.
Myopia develops in childhood. Children at school begin to see distant objects poorly and squint.
In order to improve vision, nearsighted people should wear lenses or glasses with a minus value. Often there is a need to change lenses as vision deteriorates. But it should be remembered that glasses will not change the development of myopia, they only change the refraction of light.
Causes of myopia
There are several reasons why a person begins to see things that are far away worse:
Genetic predisposition to the development of myopia. It is important to consider whether one or both parents suffer from myopia. If both the father and the mother are susceptible to pathology, then in 50% of cases, it will also occur in the child before he comes of age. If the parents are healthy, the risk of developing the disease is significantly reduced and is 8%.
Lack of nutrients in the body, vitamins, minerals. First of all, vitamins of group B and vitamin C, as well as microelements such as magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, affect vision. All of them are necessary for the proper development and formation of the tissues of the sclera of the eye.
Any eye straincaused by long and continuous visual work. This also includes such reasons as: incorrectly selected or located lighting, no breaks in working at the computer, non-observance of the minimum distance from books, notebooks, telephones, televisions, etc.
Lack of correction when the first symptoms of myopia appear. If you ignore the signs of the disease, then myopia will progress and lead to a significant deterioration in vision.
Incorrectly fitting glasses or contact lenses for the correction of vision with the onset of myopia.
congenital cause, such as weakness in the muscles of the eye responsible for changing the curvature of the lens.
Some eye diseasessuch as strabismus, astigmatism, and others.
Increase in pressure intracranial and intraocular.
Other reasons, which include multiple infectious diseases, disruptions in the hormonal system, birth and traumatic brain injuries. All those conditions that cause a weakening of the body and disrupt the flow of nutrients to the eye.
Myopia degrees
There are several degrees of myopia, which is determined by the distance of focus from the retina of the eye:
1 degree. The distance not exceeding 3 diopters refers to the first, or small degree of myopia. As for the eye, its length increases by an average of 1,5 mm from the accepted norm. A person does not experience problems when viewing objects at a close distance, however, when peering into the distance, objects are slightly blurred.
2 degree. The second degree of myopia refers to the distance between the focus and the retina, in the range from 3 to 6 diopters. The length of the eye increases by an average of 3 mm. With an average degree of myopia, the vessels inside the eyeball are stretched and have a smaller thickness. Often this condition provokes the onset of dystrophic processes on the retina. Up close, a person can see objects clearly, but at a distance not exceeding 30 cm. When removed, their contours become fuzzy, and the picture itself is blurry.
3 degree. With the third degree of myopia, the distance of focus removal from the retina exceeds 6 diopters. This is the highest degree of myopia. In this case, the eye undergoes significant changes, the retina and blood vessels become thinner, to such an extent that the sclera becomes visible. Vision is reduced so that a person can only see fingers located at arm’s length.
The higher the degree of myopia, the more the eye is elongated and its vessels are more stretched. This leads to the development of serious complications and complete blindness.
Complicated myopia
Myopia, as a rule, does not greatly affect a person’s activities and his capabilities, since this visual defect is easily corrected with lenses and glasses. But it also happens that myopia is very pronounced and requires serious interventions.
If you have to constantly change glasses for stronger ones, then this means that myopia is progressing. This means that the eyeball is enlarged. In turn, this leads to a decrease in visual acuity. Since there may be defects in the retina, its detachment is also possible. An increase in the eyeball can occur constantly throughout life, in connection with this, vision will also deteriorate.
With such a complex form of myopia, serious consequences are possible, including complete loss of vision.
“False” myopia
In ophthalmology, there is such a thing as pseudomyopia or “false” myopia. This condition, unlike true myopia, is completely curable. However, it is important to seek medical help when the first symptoms appear.
Most often, school-age children suffer from pseudomyopia. It arises due to the fact that the load on vision, namely the accommodative muscle, increases significantly. If its spasm occurs, the person loses the ability to see clearly objects located in the distance. There may also be sensations of pain in the eye sockets, head, temporal region. Eyes get tired quickly.
Infectious diseases, rheumatism, tuberculosis, vegetovascular dystonia, hysteria and other causes can precede the development of false myopia.
If false myopia was noticed during the first year, then you can quickly get rid of it. In the event that a person delays contacting a doctor, the disease can turn into true myopia.
Treatment depends on the causes of this condition. It is imperative to normalize the diet and daily routine. Particular attention should be paid to the workplace and proper lighting. It is necessary to minimize the load on vision and on the body as a whole. If there is a doctor’s recommendation, then it is worth using glasses or lenses for vision correction, taking medications to improve eye nutrition, and performing specialized sets of exercises.
Methods for improving vision with myopia
In order to improve vision, if “myopia” has been diagnosed, it is necessary to strictly follow all the doctor’s instructions. Treatment of myopia is a complex process that can only be managed with the help of an ophthalmologist.
Modern methods of improving vision are diverse and patients have plenty to choose from:
Correction of myopia with a laser.
Optical correction of myopia.
Methods of surgical intervention. Used at a high degree of development of the disease. It is possible to replace the lens with an intraocular lens, the installation of the actual lens.
Medical treatment of the disease.
Correction of nutrition to improve the blood supply to the eye and the supply of nutrients to it.
Laser vision correction for myopia
Laser correction is a modern, safe and effective way to get rid of the problem. This treatment will allow you to stop wearing glasses and contact lenses. The essence of the intervention is that the person changes the shape of the cornea, making it flatter, due to which its optical power decreases. That is, with the help of a laser, it is possible to create the effect of wearing glasses, as if located inside the eyes. As a result, the light rays after refraction in the lens of the eye are focused on its retina.
There are laser-assisted correction methods such as LASIK (forming the cornea according to a template), Super LASIK (customization of the cornea), and PRK (used for thin corneas and low myopia). Each method has its own distinctive features and is used depending on the financial capabilities of a person and the condition of his eyes.
Glasses for myopia
Glasses are most often used to correct the vision of a person suffering from myopia. Due to the installation of divergent lenses in them, they weaken the optical system of the eye, and the image is moved to the retina. Sometimes it is required to wear glasses with cylinders, if myopia is complicated by astigmatism.
It is better to use glasses with double lenses. They are divided into two parts and allow you to see objects equally well, both at a far and near distance.
Prevention of myopia
Any disease, including myopia, is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, it is important to prevent myopia from an early age.
To do this, you must follow the following recommendations:
Keep a distance of at least 30 cm between the eyes and the monitor, book, tablet, etc. This will reduce the effort made to focus the vision and prevent the development of both temporary and permanent myopia.
The eyes must be allowed to rest. The longer the vision is in tension, the higher the risk that myopia will develop. Therefore, it is imperative to take a break after 40 minutes of visual work.
You should not read while lying on your back or on your side, as well as in a moving object (in a car, train, subway, etc.). The accommodation apparatus will have to reconfigure every second in order to capture the image, which will inevitably lead to its overvoltage. If you read lying down, then one eye will always be more distant from the object than the other, which also causes eye strain.
It is important to always keep your back straight. Correct posture will allow you to look at the object of vision at the required angle.
Due attention must be paid to adequate lighting. This will save your eyes from strain. Sunlight is optimal for the human eye. But since it is not always possible to achieve such lighting during work, it is important to use artificial light. Be sure to install a table lamp when working in the evening.
It is important to protect your eyes from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation.
Proper nutrition is an equally important factor for the prevention of myopia. Daily intake of minerals and vitamins will allow the organ of vision to function better and avoid overwork.
Vitamins for eyes with myopia
In order to avoid the development of myopia, it is important to consume vitamins that help maintain vision. If this is not possible, then special complexes should be used, which the doctor may recommend.
The most relevant vitamins for the eyes with myopia:
Thiamine or vitamin B1. It affects the functioning of the nervous system as a whole, and its lack will lead to the fact that the eyes will quickly tire, binocular vision will deteriorate, which increases the risk of developing myopia.
Riboflavin or vitamin B2. Its lack negatively affects the elasticity of blood vessels, provokes their ruptures, including those located in the eyeballs. Increased fatigue and tension of the accommodative muscle are manifestations of insufficient intake of riboflavin in the body.
Niacin or vitamin B3. With its lack, the blood supply to the optic nerve worsens.
priridoxine or vitamin B6. Its deficiency causes inflammation of the optic nerve and provokes conjunctivitis.
Cyanocobolamin or vitamin B12. Without it, the eyes watery and get tired faster.
For the prevention and treatment of myopia, the intake of all vitamins is important, and those belonging to group B are especially important.
Exercises for prevention
There is a certain complex for the prevention of myopia. It includes methods such as improving blood circulation in the tissues of the eye, general strengthening of the body, which is especially useful for a child, strengthening the sclera, and activating the functions of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Since people who suffer from myopia have a very developed habit of sitting incorrectly, placing the text close to the eyes, you need to pay attention to corrective exercises.
Also, in order to increase the tone of the eye muscles, the “mark” exercise is often used. For this exercise, a mark is made on the glass at eye level, three to five millimeters in size. A person should stand away from the glass, approximately thirty centimeters from it, then turn their attention to some object located outside the window, but so that this object is on the line of the drawn mark. After you have fixed your eyes on this subject, you need to look at the mark on the glass and then back. So repeat several times.
Do these exercises for half an hour twice a day. If the vision does not improve and there are few changes, then you need to systematize the exercises and repeat them for about fifteen days with interruptions.
In the first two days you need to do the exercise for three minutes. Then on the next two days – five minutes each, and on the remaining days – seven minutes each until the end of the entire course.
Author of the article: Degtyareva Marina Vitalievna, ophthalmologist, ophthalmologist