Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the most common refractive error of the eye a situation where the eye does not refract light or bend properly to a single focus to view images clearly. In this case, close or near objects look clear while there is poor distance vision which causes distant objects to appear blurry. However, myopia is not an eye disease, but an eye focusing disorder.
Although myopia has a genetic link, its effect is usually more driven by environmental stress associated with near work such as computer use, reading, hand games, and a lack of quality outdoor time. In fact, an increasing cause of myopia is because of the adaptation of the eyes to prolonged periods of near work. Therefore, myopia is referred to as a “nearsighted” disorder one that impacts between 25-40 percent of the total U.S. population today.
Myopia – Correction Options
Myopia is a major health concern today with increasing prevalence over time. The main correction or treatment options include the use of glasses, contact lenses, and LASIK surgery.
Glasses
The use of glasses is the most common correction option for myopia especially with children. Correction glasses correct the angle through which light hits the retina. An eye doctor, ophthalmologist or optometrist, is best placed to examine your eye, testing your vision with the use of focus exercises and eye charts to arrive at the exact prescription for the disorder.
Contact Lenses
Eye examinations and vision tests are also used to determine the exact lens prescription for a patient just as they do for glasses. The mechanism of operation of contact lenses is like that of glasses they change the direction through which light enters the eye. However, contact lenses are immensely thinner than glasses due to their proximity to the cornea. There are two different types of contact lenses, soft lenses, and rigid gas-permeable lenses.
Soft Lenses
Soft lenses are designed with flexible soft plastic that allows it to adhere to the eye surface easily. Soft lenses cover a large portion of the eye including the iris, pupil, and even extending to the white. While some soft contact lenses are designed to be worn for a specified period before they are disposed, others can be taken out after use, cleaned, and stored properly overnight for use again.
Rigid gas-permeable Contact Lenses
In comparison to soft lenses, rigid lenses are a lot smaller covering the pupil and slightly extending into the iris. Rigid lenses are made of a thin rigid plastic and they float on the eye tears like soft lenses, while oxygen passes through the lens to the eye surface. It may become necessary to clean the lenses when an eyelash or dust particle gets between the eye and the contact lens.
LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) Surgery
Although contact lenses and eye glasses are myopia correction options, they are only temporary. Distant objects would still appear blurry if you are not using them. Laser surgery on the other hand, is a permanent myopia correction option which does not require any daily cleaning or corrections. It is the most common refractive error treatment option which adjusts the shape of the cornea to allow passage of light through it, while light hits the retina just at the right angle.
If you are looking to reduce or even get rid of your eye glasses and/or contacts let us at Rohr Eye & Laser Center help you! We offer several types of LASIK eye surgery including PRK, AK, CK, Cataracts surgery and more. We perform all these eye laser treatments with state of the art equipment. We are a leader in laser vision correction, and our goal is to help you achieve superior vision. Contact us today or view our website http://www.michiganlasik.com/ to schedule an appointment.