Myopia – Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.

Myopia, also known as shortsightedness or nearsightedness is a defect of the eye in which the patient can see the nearby objects clearly but farther objects appear blurred. This condition is common in many people, be it kids or teenager or adults. Myopia is not a disease, but a condition that is not normal. People suffering from myopia have longer and larger eyeballs due to which the images are produced in front of their retina and hence they can easily recognize the nearby objects.

The causes of myopia can be many, but the most common ones include heredity and visual stress. If one parent is suffering from myopia, then there is an increased chance that the child will be myopic. If both the parents are myopic then the child is at even higher risk. This is so because shortsightedness is inherited by children from parent(s) and may develop at a very young age or during adolescence. Visually stressing the eyes due to constant reading or exposure to computer screen can also cause myopia. Repetitive exposure to sunlight or focusing on one point can also put a lot of strain on the eyes.

The symptoms include frequent squints and headache complains from the patient. Because the patient cannot easily see the distant objects, he squints frequently in the hope of having a clear sight but ends up stressing his eyes. This leads to headache wherein the temple of his head develops pain. If this condition is not detected early on, it may sometimes prove very dangerous as the patient may lose his eyesight.

The best way to detect myopia is by getting the patient examined by an ophthalmologist, who will perform some tests and decide about the best treatment. If the myopia is not complex in nature, then the patient can use eyeglasses or contact lenses to get his vision properly aligned. But if the condition is complex, then the ophthalmologist may suggest going for surgery – LASIK or LASEK or PKR. It is very important to get yourself tested from a medical professional as adopting any of these treatments on your own might be very risky.