Myopia
Myopia definition
Many patients often ask, what is myopia, doctor? The medical condition of the eye where a person cannot see things clearly at distance is called myopia. Many people also refer to myopia as nearsightedness. It is very common and affects almost 1 in 4 people around the world. In myopia, the light rays that enter the eye are bent in such a way that they focus in front of the retina rather than directly on the retina. Because the light rays are not landing directly on the retina, the image the person sees is blurry. In order to make this blurry image clear, the patient will wear glasses or contact lenses which help to change the way the light bends, so that it can then bend in a way to land on the retina.
Learn how to order contact lenses online at 1-800 Contacts
Who is at risk for myopia?
The risk of myopia goes up with age and with doing focused visual tasks. Usually if one eye has myopia, the other eye is also likely to have it. If your parents or siblings have myopia, then you are also more likely to have or develop myopia in your life. Sometimes cataracts can cause something called a myopic shift where a patient’s prescription becomes more negative with time. There are also some medical conditions like Marfan syndrome where the patient also has myopia.
Is myopia dangerous?
In general, having myopia is more of an annoyance than it is harmful. Only in some extreme degrees of myopia do people experience serious visual symptoms and consequences that have limited potential to be corrected by glasses. Having a higher degree of myopia does put you at risk for retinal issues more so than the general population who may not have myopia. Specifically, high myopia, which is defined as having a prescription of -6.00 or greater (more negative than -6.00) can increase a person’s risk of retinal tears and retinal detachments. It is recommended that patients with high myopia have a dilated eye exam with a close examination of the retina on a yearly basis. If a retinal tear is found, it can be lasered by an ophthalmologist.
Can you treat myopia?
Yes! Luckily there are many treatment options for a person who has myopia. These include glasses, contacts, laser vision correction, and orthokeratology. Of these treatment options, glasses and contact lenses are the most common ways that myopia is corrected and also the most affordable.
In myopia, a patient usually wears a negative lens to correct the disorder. In hyperopia, the patient wears a positive lens to correct the condition. For example, a patient with a prescription of -3.50 is considered to be myopic, while a patient with a prescription of +3.50 is considered to be hyperopic.
If you are having trouble seeing, it could be that you are becoming slightly myopic. Be sure to make an appointment with an eye doctor to be evaluated and treated for any vision problems.
With everything you can do online these days, it only makes sense that you can renew your contact lens prescription. How do online eye exams work? How long is a prescription good for? Find out when yours expires and how to renew it within minutes. Don’t let an expired prescription leave you squinting. Can you get contacts without a prescription? No. But all is not lost. Find out more about getting contacts. Everything you need to know about online vision exams
How ExpressExam really works
How long is my prescription good for?
Can I order contact lenses with an expired prescription?