myopia

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

What is Myopia?

In the Normal Eye, light rays pass through the cornea (clear front portion of the eye), through the lens, and are focused on the retina (back portion of the eye). Once focused on the retina, information is transmitted by millions of tiny nerve bundles via the optic nerve to the brain where these images are translated into what we know as “sight.” When light rays are focused in front of, instead of on, the retina, we describe this condition as Myopia, or nearsightedness. When the light rays are focused behind the retina, then hyperopia, or farsightedness, results.

Why does it occur?

In a myopic eye, the eyeball is usually too long from front to back. This causes light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, rather than directly on its surface. This makes distant objects blurry. What causes the eyeball to grow too long isn’t completely known, but researchers are exploring a number of factors. For many people, Myopia appears to be an inherited condition – in other words, if you have a parent with Myopia you are at higher risk for developing it. Researchers are also looking at the effects of sex, age, ethnicity, and environmental exposures – such as sunlight and the amount of time spent doing close-up work – on the development of Myopia. More recently, scientists have been considering the influence of circadian rhythms (sometimes referred to as our biological or body clock), which regulate systems in the body according to the daily cycles of light and dark, as a factor in the development of Myopia.

What are the symptoms?

If you have Myopia, you have trouble seeing things far away, but you can see nearby things clearly. This is why Myopia is commonly called nearsightedness.

If you can see well enough to read what’s on your laptop or in a book, but you struggle to see what’s on the television or a movie screen, you may be nearsighted. Sometimes people with undiagnosed Myopia will have headaches and eyestrain from struggling to clearly see things in the distance.

How Is Myopia Treated?

The most common way to treat Myopia is to prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses. The treatment depends on your lifestyle. Here in South Louisiana we tend to live a lifestyle that involves rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands….think hunting, fishing, and eating boiled crawfish. In this case, refractive surgery such as LASIK or i-LASIK would be better suited to our way of life as it aims to permanently change the shape of the cornea which will improve refractive vision. LASIK in Lake Charles  is performed by Dr. Falgoust. Laser correction of certain visual problems is the most technologically advanced method available today to reduce your dependence on glasses and contact lenses. The Lake Charles outpatient procedure can correct Nearsightedness, Farsightedness, and Astigmatism by gently reshaping the front surface of your eye with a cool, ultraviolet beam of laser light.

It is estimated that over one million laser procedures have been performed in 52 countries around the world.