You are at eyeway.org : inform : eye care : eye conditions : myopia

Myopia

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a very common vision condition that affects nearly 30 percent of the Indian population.

It normally first occurs in school age children. Since the eye continues to grow during childhood, nearsightedness generally develops before age 20.

An individual that has myopia has trouble seeing clearly at a distance. With myopia, the center of the cornea is thinned. The thinned cornea corrects the blurred vision from myopia, weakening the near sighted (too strong) eye. The rays (of light) entering the eye are bent too much, and focus ahead of the retina, which is the normal focusing point.

After compressing, the rays spread out again, becoming scattered by the time they reach the retina, thus causing blurry vision.

Symptoms of myopia include:

• blurred vision of distant objects
• squinting
• eyestrain
• headaches

Dangers

There is a slight danger of sight loss since the deformation of the eye creates stress on the retina which can become damaged or detached and can also provoke other changes. This is especially the case in high myopia.

Back to Eye Care Menu

If you are using a screen reader, you can jump to the navigational links to other areas of the site by clicking here

Eyeway intends building a community where people can share and learn from each other. If you would like to share your experiences about Myopia with others, please send us your write-up at inspiration@eyeway.org. We shall include it as part of our website.

Printer-friendly version | Mail this page to a friend