👁️ Myopia (Nearsightedness)
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common vision condition where distant objects appear blurry, but close objects are seen clearly. It is caused by the eye being too long or the cornea being too curved, so light focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it.
🔍 Causes
- Elongation of the eyeball
- Excessive curvature of the cornea or lens
- Genetics: Runs in families
- Environmental factors:
- Prolonged close-up work (e.g., reading, screens)
- Lack of outdoor activity in childhood
📊 Symptoms
- Blurry vision when looking at distant objects (e.g., road signs, blackboards)
- Squinting
- Eye strain or headaches
- Needing to sit close to screens or the front of a classroom
🧪 Diagnosis
- Comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist
- Visual acuity test (e.g., reading letters from a chart)
- Refraction test (to determine corrective lens strength)
👓 Treatment Options
🔹 Corrective Lenses
- Eyeglasses: Simple and effective
- Contact lenses: Offer wider field of vision
🔹 Refractive Surgery
- LASIK, PRK, or SMILE surgery to reshape the cornea
- Not suitable for everyone (e.g., growing children, certain eye conditions)
🔹 Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)
- Special rigid contact lenses worn at night to temporarily reshape the cornea
🔹 Atropine Eye Drops (in children):
- Low-dose drops may slow progression of myopia
👶 Childhood Myopia
- Increasingly common worldwide (especially in East Asia)
- Early detection is key to prevent high (severe) myopia
- Encourage:
- Outdoor time (2+ hours/day)
- Breaks from screen time or reading (20-20-20 rule)
🌍 Myopia Progression
- Usually begins in childhood (ages 6–14)
- May worsen during teenage years, then stabilize in early adulthood
- High myopia increases the risk of serious eye complications:
- Retinal detachment
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Myopic macular degeneration
✅ Key Facts
- Myopia is very common and usually easily corrected
- Regular eye exams are important, especially in children
- Early intervention can slow progression
- Lifestyle changes (e.g., more outdoor time) can make a big difference