Contents
What is myopia
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a disease in which the image is formed not on a certain area of the retina, but in the plane in front of it. That is, patients see it indistinctly.
There are three types of myopia:
- weak (up to 3,0 D (dioprium) inclusive);
- medium (from 3,25 to 6,0 D);
- high (more than 6 D). It can even reach values of 15, 20, 30 D.
Nearsighted patients cannot live without special glasses for distance vision in everyday life. Many use glasses for near vision: when myopia exceeds 6-8 or more diopters. But glasses, alas, do not always correct vision to a high level, because this is due to dystrophic and other changes in the membranes of the myopic eye.
Nearsightedness is a refractive error or optics disorder in which a person sees poorly at a distance, but sees well at close range. With a high degree of myopia, the nearest point of clear vision can be 30 cm from the face, from the eyes, says Candidate of Medical Sciences, ophthalmologist of the highest category Natalya Voroshilova.
What you need to know about myopia
| A person can’t see things well | in the distance |
| Who suffers | children, teenagers, adults |
| Beams focus | in front of the retina |
| What lenses are needed | biconcave |
Causes of nearsightedness in adults
- Myopia occurs in people with an irregularly shaped eyeball. This is when the length of the anteroposterior axis of the eye is more than normal, and the light rays, being focused, simply do not reach the retina. With an elongated shape of the eyeball, the posterior wall of the eye is stretched, and this state of the visual system can provoke changes in the fundus.
- Strong refraction of light rays optical system of the eye (lens, cornea). Here, usually the size of the eye is normal, but due to the strong refraction of the optical apparatus, the light rays converge into focus in front of the retina, and not on it.
- Genetics. As well as the color of hair, eyes, face shape, diseases, including myopia, can also be inherited by a person. At risk for the disease are just those who have both parents suffer from this disease. If only one parent has myopia, then this reduces the likelihood of myopia in a child by an average of 30%;
- Weakening of immunity. If you overexert, eat improperly and have a number of different diseases, you too are at risk for myopia. Also included is:
- violation of the musculoskeletal system: flat feet, scoliosis;
- suffered infectious diseases: measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria;
- sick with tuberculosis, hepatitis;
- had a brain injury;
- often strain your eyes;
- reading in a moving vehicle, in the dark;
- often sit at the TV, computer or “stick” in the smartphone.
Signs of nearsightedness in adults
According to experts, for a long time myopia may not make itself felt. The disease can occur without symptoms, so it is impossible to immediately determine it. Many people learned about the presence of the disease only at preventive examinations by ophthalmologists.
Basically, myopia begins to develop at school – at a time when children begin to read and get a constant load on their eyes. Also, many children do not see the words on the blackboard from the back desks, that is, if the child tries to sit closer to read something or squints strongly, then the whole reason is myopia.
When myopia progresses, and the person does not yet know about it, but is already experiencing discomfort, then he begins to change his lenses and glasses. This is because older versions of lenses can no longer correct vision.
Also, the disease can be determined by the appearance of the eye. If small objects fly before the eyes, it seems that a mote or wool has fallen, this is also a sign of myopia.
The most important thing is not to bring myopia to complete blindness, then even eye surgery will not help, so you need to contact an ophthalmologist in time.
Treatment of myopia in adults
Progressive myopia can be stopped with the help of drug therapy, spectacle or contact correction. The most effective methods of treating myopia are surgical and laser.
It all starts with a visit to the doctor. The doctor will prescribe treatment after examination. A patient with myopia must observe eye hygiene, do not miss appointments with an ophthalmologist.
Basically, doctors prescribe tissue therapy, physiotherapy, and may also recommend training for eye muscles. You can successfully correct vision with contact lenses, glasses, the cost of which is lower than laser correction for myopia.
When diagnosing myopia, laser correction is actively used using a special device. The surgeon affects the cornea, restores the retina.
Diagnostics
At the appointment, the ophthalmologist will examine the structure of the eye, examine refraction, and conduct an ultrasound scan of the visual organs. Ultrasound of the eye helps to measure the anteroposterior axis of the eye during diagnosis, assess the homogeneity of the organ of vision, exclude possible retinal detachment /
Thanks to visiometry, the doctor will check how sharp the patient’s vision is. This procedure is a key element of the diagnosis. This can be used to detect nearsightedness and farsightedness. The essence of this method is that the doctor shows the person a table and uses a set of original lenses for glasses to select the best visual acuity, to cure the patient.
There are also other methods – skiascopy and cyclohelium. Thanks to them, it is possible to determine the refraction of vision, these procedures help to understand whether it is worth having an operation for myopia, laser vision correction is needed, or corrective lenses can be dispensed with.
Very often during the diagnosis, before deciding whether the patient needs laser vision correction, ophthalmoscopy or biomicroscopy of the eye with a special Goldmann lens is used. The method allows to find out if there are changes in the patient’s retina, if the sclera is protruding, if the lens is clouded.
Modern treatments
The most effective methods of treating myopia are laser microsurgical operations (LASIK, Super-LASIK) and surgical intervention (scleroplasty, keratophakia). In modern medicine, myopia can be cured with the help of drug therapy and physiotherapy.
In parallel with the main therapy, gymnastics is often shown. Exercises are always aimed at correcting the focus of the gaze, training distant vision, strengthening the intraocular muscles, and relaxing the eyes after prolonged exertion.
Prevention of myopia in adults at home
In order not to encounter myopia, and especially if parents have such a diagnosis, it is necessary to properly organize the workplace, choose ergonomic furniture, and create good lighting.
If your work makes you sit at the computer for a long time, then do not forget to take a break from the monitor. After working for a while, move away from the work area. As a prevention of myopia, it does not hurt to do eye exercises. It is necessary to conduct regular examinations with a doctor, which will allow timely identification of complications and treatment, proper nutrition and physical education.
Popular questions and answers
Comments Natalia Voroshilova, PhD, ophthalmologist of the highest category.
Why does myopia progress in adults?
If it progresses quickly, we consider it to be malignant myopia. The reasons for this, as a rule, are hidden in endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders. I see nearsightedness in my patients due to excessive eye strain at close range, especially with electronic screens.
Who is at risk?
with hypermetropia less than +0,5 diopters when entering school, children who began to read early. As for adults, these are those who are ill for a long time and often and/or have chronic diseases; living in unfavorable climatic and ecological zones, often sitting at computers and “sticky” on phones.