Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a vision condition affecting nearly 30% of Americans. With the prevalence of myopia rising each year, many individuals, parents, and even optometry professionals are curious about the prospects for a cure.
While you can’t cure myopia, treatment methods can reduce the progression of myopia in children, and laser eye surgery can correct myopia in adults. A comprehensive exam can help your eye doctor diagnose and treat myopia.
What Is Myopia?
Myopia is a refractive error that results in blurred vision when looking at distant objects, while near objects look clear. Myopia occurs when the shape of the eye is too long, causing light rays to focus in front of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) instead of directly on it to form a clear image.
Myopia can develop gradually and often becomes noticeable in childhood or the teenage years. Symptoms of myopia can include:
- Blurry distant vision
- Squinting
- Eye strain
- Tired eyes
- Sore eyes
What Causes Myopia?
The exact cause of myopia isn’t entirely clear, but genetics and environmental factors play a significant role. If both parents are nearsighted, there’s a significant chance their children will be too. Factors such as prolonged near-focused work and lack of outdoor time are also associated with higher myopia rates.
Myopia Treatment
Myopia often means wearing glasses or contact lenses to correct the refractive error. Treatment for adults with myopia can include surgery that changes the shape of your cornea so it can focus light clearly on the retina again. But there’s more to myopia management than merely correcting vision; it’s about preventing it from worsening.
Myopia Progression
It’s crucial to know that myopia can progress without proper treatment and lead to high or severe myopia. Severe myopia in children can increase their risk of sight-threatening eye conditions later in life, such as:
- Cataracts: This is the clouding of the lens in the eye, which affects vision.
- Myopic macular degeneration: Damage to the macula that occurs due to progressive, abnormal elongation of the eyeball and can lead to irreversible vision loss.
- Glaucoma: These are eye disorders that cause damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye and lead to vision loss if not treated.
- Retinal detachment: When the retina detaches from supporting eye tissue, it can cause permanent vision loss.
Is Myopia Curable?
While you can’t completely cure myopia, you can correct myopia with glasses, contact lenses, and surgery for clear vision. However, traditional lenses may not stop myopia from progressing. Eye surgery can correct myopia in adults, but some may experience worsening vision over time.
Myopia Control Methods
Managing myopia is about using control methods to slow or halt myopia progression in children.
Orthokeratology
Orthokeratology lenses, also called corneal reshaping lenses, are worn overnight. They temporarily correct myopia by flattening the cornea while you sleep and don’t need to wear lenses during the day. Studies suggest they can also slow the progression of myopia.
Specialty Lenses
Specialty lenses like multifocal and peripheral defocus designs have shown promise in managing myopia progression by slowing eye elongation.
Atropine Eye Drops
Low-dose atropine eye drops can slow the progression of myopia and help keep children’s prescriptions low. While the mechanism of action isn’t fully understood, it can reduce the need for stronger prescriptions.
Preventing Myopia
A comprehensive approach to preventing and managing myopia includes changes in daily habits, such as increasing outdoor time, taking regular vision breaks, and maintaining a balanced diet. These simple yet impactful lifestyle adjustments can be highly beneficial, especially for children.
If you or your loved ones are dealing with myopia, the following tips can help optimize management:
- Frequent eye exams: Regular children’s eye exams can catch myopic changes early and make sure that corrective prescriptions are up-to-date.
- Education: Understanding myopia, its causes, and management options empowers parents to make informed decisions.
- Practice eye-friendly habits: Minimize screen time, take regular breaks, and maintain proper lighting conditions to reduce eye strain.
- Explore management options: Speak to your eye doctor about the most current and suitable strategies for slowing myopia progression.
- Consider the cost: High myopia can lead to more costly vision correction and an increased risk of eye diseases. Early investment in effective management strategies could save money and unwanted eye health issues in the long run.
Proactive Approach to Healthy Eyes & Vision
While there’s currently no cure for myopia, there are tools and emerging technologies that can help prevent worsening myopia and reduce the risk for more severe eye diseases. With a proactive approach, regular eye exams, and a change in lifestyle habits, individuals and parents can work with their eye doctor to develop personalized management strategies for myopia treatment.
If you have a family history of myopia or your child presents with myopia symptoms, book an appointment with Envision Eye Care to monitor eye health and vision changes.
