Myopia, more popularly known as nearsightedness, is the most common refractive error. Although it often takes its onset during your younger years, it can still affect anyone at any age. Your trusted optometrist from Eyes on Norbeck talks about this vision problem and our recommended management.
Causes and Risk Factors
Light rays ideally travel in a straight line until they bounce off an object within your visual field. As they pass through your eyes, they are bent and focused toward your retina. Having an eyeball that’s longer than usual, however, may cause the received light rays to fall in front of the retina rather than directly on it, leading to a condition known as myopia.
Nearsightedness may also happen when you have a rigid or enlarged cornea. While the cause behind these structural infirmities remains a gray area, experts believe that heredity is a major contributing factor to myopia development. Having family members with myopic eyes increases your risk of dealing with this refractive error later on. Undergoing an eye exam regularly can help in the early diagnosis of this vision problem.
Common Symptoms
With the faulty light-bending cycle, you may struggle seeing things from afar. You may have a hard time reading street signs or recognizing faces from a fair distance. You may avoid doing far-range tasks as well. As your eyes try to get a better view of distant figures, you may have headaches or eye strains later on.
Detection and Management
Dealing with the symptoms we’ve mentioned is a sign you need to visit your optometrist as soon as possible. We’ll perform a comprehensive eye exam to check for signs of myopia. This may include a visual acuity test to measure how sharp your eyes are. We may also have you undergo a refraction test where you’ll try lenses of different prescriptions to let us know which one gives you improved vision.
We’ll then prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses based on the results of your eye tests. We have a large selection of specs available in various styles, colors, or designs. We can help you find a pair suitable to your personality and lifestyle. Our contact lenses, on the other hand, come in different materials and have different replacement frequencies for your convenience.
To learn more about myopia and our vision correction options, you can reach us at (301) 241-0553. You may also fill out our contact form to schedule a visit. We help residents of Potomac and nearby MD communities achieve better vision.
