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Tips To Slow Down The Progression Of Myopia

August 23, 2021

Introduction

Many people have complaints of seeing blurry objects which are at some distance. These people are able to see the things when they are near. The condition is called myopia and is also known as nearsightedness. It is a common vision defect of the eye. It occurs when light entering the eye forms an image in front of the retina instead of on the retina. It results in a blurry appearance for distant objects.

Myopia gets worse when it develops from childhood. It can grow gradually or rapidly. It tends to pass from generation to generation. The risk of developing nearsightedness is increased if one of the parents is nearsighted and even more if both parents are nearsighted.

What Is Myopia?

Myopia is a  refractive error caused if the eye is more elongated or cornea is more curved than normal. The symptoms of nearsightedness are common and easy to examine by simple eye test. The symptoms include:

  • Blurry vision while looking at the objects from a far distance
  • one has to close the  eye partially or squeeze the eye to see clearly from a distance
  • Eyestrain
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty in seeing while driving a car or bike

Myopia is a usual condition among children & it can be easily diagnosed by the signs that appear in the early stage. The signs are

  • Excessive blinking
  • Problem in watching television, movie screen from a distance or seeing the blackboard from a distance in the classroom
  • Rubbing eyes frequently
  • Blurry vision

What Are The Causes Of Myopia?

Myopia is a refractive error in which the eye cannot focus the incoming light accurately on the retina. A myopic affected eye focuses light in front of the retina instead of focusing on it. The light rays fall in front of the retina  and cause a refractive error.

The eye has the cornea and the lens to focus the image. Each of these focusing elements has a perfectly smooth curvature to bend or refract the entire incident light. A perfect shape is required to form the image focused directly on the retina.

Myopia or nearsightedness occurs when the curvature is compromised and image formation takes place in front of the retina. The person has difficulty seeing the objects at a distance & the distant images appear blurred.

Tips To Slow Down The Progression Of Myopia

A complete eye exam can diagnose nearsightedness & pupil is dilated to determine the correct power. It is a part of eye examination and involves checking before  procedure of eye surgery. There are various ways to slow down the progression of myopia. Some of them are:

Avoid excess phone use 

Put your phone away and try to engage in outdoor activities. It can protect your eyes from excessive use of devices and keeps your eye and body fit.

Eyeglasses and contact lenses/corrective lenses

These devices contribute to correction of power caused by the elongation of the eyeball or increase in curvature of the cornea. The devices can shift the focus of the incident light. It depends on the eye examination that you need to wear corrective lenses all the time or for a specific activity such as driving, reading in the classroom.

Refractive surgery

Refractive surgery also referred to as lasik laser eye surgery. The procedure includes reshaping the cornea to focus light on the retina. It is a permanent solution to remove contact lenses or eyeglasses power.

Lifestyle and home remedies also contribute in reducing the progression of nearsightedness. You can take the following preventive measures to slow down the progression of nearsightedness

  • Regular eye examination
  • Use of good lighting while studying or other works requiring more focus.
  • Wearing prescribed corrective lenses
  • Wear UV protected sunglasses
  • Take frequent breaks while using a digital device for long hours
  • Maintain blood pressure and diabetes to normal.
  • Proper exercise to reduce eyestrain
  • Consume healthy supplements like omega-3 fatty acids and vegetable.
  • Stop smoking
  • Keep children away from television or smartphone
  • Topical eye drop treatment Medication like Atropine 0.1% eye drops are used in children with progressive myopia to stop the progression. It has shown beneficial effects to stop the myopia from progressing further.

Conclusion

Myopia can reduce the quality of life. You are not able to perform activities as you want because of limited or blur vision. You can prevent nearsightedness or halt its progression by adding various habits to your lifestyle like exercise, avoiding electronic devices. You can consult with your doctor and choose your eye wear accordingly. To get rid of eyeglasses or contact lenses permanently, you can go for a lasik laser vision correction procedure a form of refractive eye surgery.

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