Nearsightedness or myopia, is a common vision problem where close-up objects are clear, but distant ones appear blurry. It can develop slowly or quickly, often starting in childhood or adolescence.

What is myopia or nearsightedness?

Myopia or nearsightedness, means you can see things up close but struggle to see objects that are farther away. For instance, if you are nearsighted, you might not be able to read highway signs until you’re very close to them.

Myopia affects many people and is a vision problem and usually myopia correction involves glasses, contact lenses or surgery.

What are the types of myopia?

Eye specialists generally classify myopia into two types, simple myopia and pathologic myopia, also known as degenerative myopia. Simple myopia can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses for clear vision, but those with pathologic myopia may not achieve clear vision even with corrective lenses.

What are the signs of myopia?

In case you have myopia or nearsightedness, you may experience symptoms like:

Feeling tired after driving
Eye strain
Objects far away look blurry
Headaches

What are the possible causes of myopia?

If you have myopia, it is likely that at least one of your parents has it as well. Eye specialists aren’t exactly sure what causes myopia, but they think it is a combination of genetics and environmental influences.

You might inherit the tendency to be myopic. If your lifestyle creates the right conditions, you could develop it. For instance, spending a lot of time on close-up activities, like reading or using a computer, may lead to myopia.

Myopia usually develops in childhood. It often gets worse during early childhood but typically stabilizes by the time you reach your late teens.

When light enters your eyes and does not focus properly, images appear blurry. It is similar to shining a spotlight on the wrong spot, if the light isn’t directed correctly, you won’t see the object clearly.

What is the impact of myopia in everyday life?

Uncorrected myopia can make daily life challenging, especially for children and those affected. Simple tasks like reading signs, recognizing faces, or seeing the board in class can become difficult. It can also create safety risks during activities like sports or driving, as distant objects appear blurry and judging distances becomes harder. These difficulties can impact a person’s overall productivity.

The effect of myopia, whether corrected or uncorrected, on quality of life is usually assessed through surveys that cover symptoms, activity limitations, emotional and social effects, and other inconveniences. Researchers show that myopia can limit daily activities and impact economic, emotional, and social well-being. Generally the more severe myopia, the greater the impact on quality of life.

How does myopia affect a child’s life?

Difficulty catching up in school:

Parents might not realize their child has blurry vision from myopia until they notice a pattern of lower grades on report cards or tests.

Strain to the eyes:

Straining to see distant objects more clearly than often leads to eyestrain. However, every parent and teacher may not recognize the child’s headaches, tired or burning eyes, blurry vision, and neck or shoulder pain could be signs of myopia.

When should you reach out to the doctor?

Early intervention and evaluation help your eye specialist provide the right treatment and vision correction for myopia. Be sure to schedule an appointment if you notice any signs of myopia. In addition, get emergency medical attention if you encounter any of the following:

Viewing floaters in your vision which can be troubling
Shadow in your vision
Light flashes in either or both eyes
Curtain-like shadow in your vision

What are the diagnostic procedures for myopia?

An eye care provider can diagnose myopia through a routine eye exam. Myopia is often detected in childhood, but it can also develop in adults due to visual strain or diabetes. You can always reach out to the best eye hospital in Coimbatore if you are looking to seek expert diagnosis.

Testing adults for myopia:

Your provider will check how your eyes focus light and determine the strength of any corrective lenses you might need. They’ll start by testing your vision clarity by having you read letters from an eye chart. Then, they’ll use a lighted retinoscope to see how your retina reflects light.

Your provider may also use a phoropter, a device that measures your refractive error by placing different lenses in front of your eyes. This helps determine the lens strength you need for clear vision.

Testing your child for myopia:

Your pediatrician will check your child’s eyes during regular checkups. It’s best to have their first eye exam before age 1. If no issues are found, schedule another exam before they start kindergarten.

Since myopia can be hereditary, it’s especially important to have your child’s eyes checked early if vision problems run in the family. If you or your pediatrician notice any vision concerns, your child may be referred to an eye specialist.

During a children’s eye exam, your eye care provider will physically examine your child’s eyes and check for a normal light reflex. For kids aged 3 to 5, the provider will also perform vision screenings using eye charts, pictures, letters, or the “tumbling E game,” known as the “Random E’s Visual Acuity Test.”

What are the treatment options involved in myopia treatment?

Glasses or contact lenses can help myopia correction in both children and adults. For adults, there are also several types of refractive surgeries that can correct myopia, although these are rarely available for children.

With myopia, your glasses or contact lens prescription is a negative number, like -3.00. The larger the number, the stronger the lenses needed. This prescription helps your eyes focus light on the retina, improving your distance vision.

Eye glasses:

The most common way to myopia correction is with eyeglasses. Depending on how much correction you need, you might wear them every day or just when you need to see things at a distance. For example, some people may only need glasses for driving, while some kids might only wear them to play sports, watch movies, or see the chalkboard. Others may need to wear glasses all the time to see clearly.

Contact lenses:

Some people notice that their distance vision is clearer and broader with contact lenses. However, they do need more maintenance to keep them clean. Check with your provider to see which type of contact lenses would be best for your level of myopia and any other vision issues.

What is meant by myopia control?

Myopia isn’t just about needing glasses. Once it starts in children and teenagers, it usually gets worse every few months until their late teens or early adulthood.

The term “myopia control” is used to refer to treatments designed to slow down the progression of myopia. These treatments include special glasses or soft contact lenses. Myopia control is especially important for children, as this is when myopia is most likely to worsen quickly.

Myopia control is also important for teenagers because their vision can still be getting worse, though at a slower pace than in younger children. About half of teenagers stabilize their myopia by age 16, but that means the other half are still experiencing progression. Therefore, it’s best to continue myopia control treatment into early adulthood.

Young adults can also experience myopia progression, though it tends to happen more slowly than in children and teenagers. Recent data shows that some young adults may develop myopia in their 20s, even if they had normal vision as children.

Both “myopia control” and “myopia management” allude to the extra attention that both adults and children with myopia require. Typically, myopia control involves slowing down the progression of myopia using glasses, contact lenses, or atropine eye drops. Myopia management, on the other hand, encompasses a broader approach that includes discussing lifestyle and environmental factors that may contribute to myopia progression, as well as overall eye health management.

Is there a way to prevent myopia?

While there is no cure for short sightedness since it often runs in families, there are ways you might reduce your risk of developing nearsightedness.

How to reduce the risk of developing myopia?

Some eye experts suggest that you might lower the risk of developing myopia for yourself or your child by spending more time outdoors and limiting screen time. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to how much time is spent on close-up activities like reading or sewing.

What are the tips to slow the progression of myopia?

While there’s no cure for myopia, there are daily actions you can take to help maintain your overall eye health. It’s particularly important these days to set limits for both your children and yourself on activities that can cause eye strain.

You can try:

Avoid reading in dim light
Take breaks if you spend long hours in front of screens
Limit time while using digital devices
Get your eyes checked regularly
In case you are a smoker, avoid smoking

What foods can help keep your eyes healthy?

Everyone’s eyes need nutrients from the foods we eat to keep important tissues and functions healthy. Good nutrition is especially important for your child’s vision as their eyes grow and develop. In addition to cutting back on caffeinated sodas and other soft drinks, make sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

You can try foods with:

Vitamin A :

You need sufficient amounts of antioxidant vitamin A in your diet to keep the surface of your eyes healthy and maintain good vision. There are plenty of sources of vitamin A to suit different dietary preferences. For plant-based options, consider foods like sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and carrots. If you prefer animal-based foods, you can choose cheese, oily fish, or liver.

Vitamin C :

The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, and broccoli.

Important Takeaway:

Many people are diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness). Fortunately, there are treatments available that can help achieve clear vision despite this condition. It’s important to seek regular eye appointments from the best eye doctor in Coimbatore, as early diagnosis and treatment of any vision issues are crucial.