Myopia ( Nearsighted )
Nearsightedness / Shortsightedness
Myopia – also known as “nearsightedness” – is the ability to see things up close, but not at a distance. It is the opposite of hyperopia (farsighted), which is another refractive vision disorder, along with astigmatism (distorted vision). Myopia is the most common vision disorder in the world, with an estimated ¼ of the population in the US living with poor distance vision.
Myopia Causes
Nearsightedness is an inherited condition. Myopic people usually start to notice poor distance vision by the age of ten to fifteen. This inability to see objects at a distance is due to a misshaped eye, in which the eyeball is too long, or the cornea is too steep. This causes the image to come into focus prematurely, before arriving at the retina.
Treatments for Shortsightedness
There are three main options for myopic patients: Glasses, Contacts and Refractive Surgery. PRK ( photo refractive keratectomy ) was briefly the most popular refractive procedure for myopia. However, once it was approved by the FDA, LASIK eye surgery quickly become the most widely used surgical procedure in Myopia treatments. Both techniques use the eximer laser to reshape the eye by removing corneal tissue. The most notable difference is that Photo Refractive Keratectomy ( PRK ) removes tissue from the surface of the eye, while LASIK surgery removes tissue from under the surface, below a thin “flap” cut into the eye by either microkeratome or intralase. The flap covers the affected area, which promotes faster healing and less scar tissue.
Although LASIK is the most popular refractive surgery procedure for myopia, Ophthalmologists may suggest PRK for a variety of reasons. In certain circumstances, they may even rule out refractive surgery altogether, depending on your particular condition. You should discuss your options with an ophthalmologist to determine if LASIK surgery is right for you as a treatment for Myopia.
