Understanding and Treating Myopia

1195 Words3 Pages

Myopia
Jacob M. Stanley
Mitchell Community College
Abstract
Myopia is a condition in which visual images come into focus in front of the retina of the eye. This condition causes objects at a distance to appear blurry, while objects nearby are seen clearly. If not severe, myopia can be treated with contacts or glasses. Other treatments for myopia include photoreactive keratectomy (PRK), LASIK, and orthokeratology. Degenerative myopia is a quick progression of myopia and leads to complete loss of vision. The treatment for degenerative myopia is a combination of medication and laser surgery.
Keywords: Degenerative Myopia, LASIK, Myopia, Orthokeratology, Photorefractive Keratectomy
Myopia
Myopia occurs if the eye is too long, or if the cornea …show more content…

It is a rare condition that affects 2 % of Americans. Signs of pathological myopia include: Bending or distortion of straight lines, altered color perception, reduced contrast sensitivity, and increasing gloss of central vision. It is a quick severe progression of myopia and loss of vision is the end result. There is an increased risk of retinal detachment and other degenerative changes in the back of the eye (bleeding from abnormal blood vessel growth). If any of these things occur the risk of cataracts could increase. Treatment calls for a combination of a drug and a laser procedure called photodynamic therapy. It is reported to be the seventh ranking cause of legal blindness in the United States of America the fourth ranking cause in Hong Kong and the second in parts of China and Japan this form of myopia frequently progresses in adult life, with small intermittent steps of elongation being observable at any age. The adult progression appears to be due to the stretching of the walls of the eye. Genetically weak elements of the scleral wall are prone to thinning and stretching. One of the major forces at work in this stretching process appears to be the normal intra-ocular pressure (Ward

More about Understanding and Treating Myopia

Open Document