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Myopia
Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a
vision condition in which near objects are seen clearly, but distant objects do
not come into proper focus. Nearsightedness occurs if your eyeball is too long
or the cornea has too much curvature, so the light entering your eye is not
focused correctly.
Nearsightedness is a very common vision condition that affects nearly 30 percent
of the U.S. population. Some evidence supports the theory that nearsightedness
is hereditary. There is also growing evidence that nearsightedness may be caused
by the stress of too much close vision work. It normally first occurs in school
age children. Since the eye continues to grow during childhood, nearsightedness
generally develops before age 20.
A sign of nearsightedness is difficulty seeing distant objects like a movie
or TV screen or chalkboard. A comprehensive optometric examination will include
testing for nearsightedness. Your optometrist can prescribe eyeglasses or
contact lenses to optically correct nearsightedness by altering the way the
light images enter your eyes. You may only need to wear them for certain
activities, like watching TV or a movie or driving a car, or they may need to be
worn for all activities.
Refractive surgery or laser procedures are also possible treatments for
nearsightedness as is orthokeratology. Orthokeratology is a non-invasive
procedure that involves the wearing of a series of specially-designed rigid
contact lenses to progressively reshape the curvature of the cornea over time.
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