Myopia Management

Myopia Management

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What is Myopia?

Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. People with myopia can have difficulty clearly seeing a movie or TV screen, a whiteboard in school or while driving.

Myopia occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is too curved. As a result, the light entering the eye isn’t focused correctly, and distant objects look blurred.

Myopia affects nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population. While the exact cause of myopia is unknown, there is significant evidence that many people inherit myopia, or at least the tendency to develop myopia. If one or both parents are nearsighted, there is an increased chance their children will be nearsighted.

man using computer wearing glasses

Even though the tendency to develop myopia may be inherited, its actual development may be affected by a person’s lifestyle and how they use their eyes. Individuals who spend considerable time reading, working at a computer, or doing other intense close visual work may be more likely to develop myopia.

Our Doctors can test for Myopia during an annual eye exam. If you have myopia, you have a variety of options to correct your vision problem. In consultation with your doctor, you can select the treatment that best meets your visual and lifestyle needs. Glasses or contact lenses are the standard treatments for Myopia.

Recent studies show that Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) is a method proven to slow the progression of myopia (nearsightedness). Special hard contact lenses that reshape your eyes are worn overnight, allowing you to be free of glasses or contact lenses during the day. This is a great alternative for many patients, especially for our athletic patients or even those who experience dry eye symptoms with their disposable contact lenses.