Eye Disease
ICL
Implantation Surgery
Refractive
Lens Exchange Surgery
The main symptom of myopia is
distant objects appear blurred, while near objects can
still be seen clearly. Other symptoms can include headache
and tired eyes. Myopia usually appears around puberty,
but may appear at any age from early childhood up to
the age of 25. In most cases, myopia will stop getting
worse when the growth process has been completed.
Some children who develop myopia
may not realise at first that their vision has been
affected. They may be able to read books and do 'close
work' well, but may find it difficult to see distant
objects, such as the blackboard at school. They may
think this is 'normal' and not tell anyone.
Children may be given regular
sight tests at school, but if not parents should book
their children in for a test with an optometrist (optician).
These are free for children under 16 and for those under
19 in full-time education. Children should have their
eyes tested at least every two years.
The earlier myopia starts, the
more severe it is likely to become. Myopia that starts
in early childhood often gets worse in adult life, and
may become very severe. Known as high degree myopia
(or sometimes as pathological myopia), it can create
problems in later life because of its association with
changes at the back of the eye.
There is a tendency for myopia to run in families. Children
have about a 30% chance of developing myopia if one
of their parents has the condition, and a 55% chance
if both have it. High degree myopia also runs in families.
It is believed that a number
of factors combine to cause myopia. A person's genes,
together with their environment and how much their body
is affected by it, probably both have an effect on the
way their eyes develop.
Myopia is usually diagnosed with a simple vision test
using an eye chart (called a Snellen chart).
The chart is made up of rows of letters of different
sizes. Your level of vision is measured by the smallest
line of letters you can read from a distance of six
metres.
Myopia can usually be corrected with glasses (spectacles)
or contact lenses. These cancel out the increased curvature
of your cornea or the increased length of your eye so
that distant objects no longer appear blurred.
• Laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) - a small
flap is made in the cornea, and a tiny piece of tissue
is removed with a laser. It is usually performed as
an outpatient procedure and takes about 15 minutes for
each eye. Vision may be hazy or blurry for a few days
after surgery. This is a relatively new treatment for
myopia and the long-term safety and effectiveness of
the procedure has not been proved.
Surgical correction of myopia
is available in International Modern Hospital, Dubai.
