Nearsightedness or nearsightedness has the medical term myopia. This condition causes you to have difficulty seeing objects at a distance. Light reflected from an object enters the eye through the cornea, then is focused by the eye lens onto the retina. In normal eyes, the eye lens and cornea refract incoming light so that the image of the object is focused right on the retina. While in nearsightedness, incoming light is not focused on the retina, but far in front of it. This can be caused by the cornea being too convex or the eyeball being too long. So if you have nearsightedness, when looking at objects from a distance, the object will look out of focus.
The severity of myopia is indicated by the size of the diopter (D). Based on the severity, myopia is divided into three, namely low myopia (minus 0.5D to minus 3D), moderate (minus 3D to 6D), and severe (above 6D).
Symptoms of Myopia
Pay attention to some of the symptoms of nearsightedness below. If you experience some of these symptoms, you may need to have your eyes checked by a doctor.
- Difficulty seeing things from a distance but clearly when looking at close range.
- Squinting when looking at something.
- Difficulty seeing when driving a vehicle.
- Need to sit close to the blackboard (myopia in children) to see clearly.
- When watching television must be close to be able to see clearly.
- Eyes feel strained.
- Eyes feel tired.
- Headache.
- Frequent eye rubbing.
- Frequent eye blinking.
As you get older, your visual acuity will decrease. If you experience some of the symptoms above, or have the possibility of eye damage, you should have your eyes checked. If there are no visual complaints, adults are still advised to have regular eye examinations starting at age 40. At the age of 40 to 54, eye examinations can be done every two to four years. At the age of 55 – 64, every one to three years. And at the age of 65 and above, examinations can be done every one or two years. In children, it is better to start having eye examinations before school. When starting school, do it routinely every one or two years.
Myopia Therapy
If it turns out that your eyes have already experienced myopia, then you can do some therapies such as using glasses or contact lenses. Glasses are one of the easiest and safest ways to correct myopia. However, in glasses for severe myopia, the view on the edge can experience vision distortion. Contact lenses do not have these disadvantages, but their maintenance is relatively more complicated than glasses.
For those of you who want permanent eye correction, you can choose the surgical route. Some surgical options that you can do are LASIK surgery, LASEK surgery, and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). In addition, for people with moderate to severe myopia, intraocular lens (IOL) implants can be an option. Like surgery, myopia therapy through surgery also has side effects or complications that may occur. Among others, dry eyes, infection, and scarring of the cornea.
Myopia Complications
Eye damage can interfere with daily activities and reduce the quality of life. If you force yourself to drive with myopia without wearing glasses, it will certainly endanger your safety. Forcing yourself to see with myopia can also make your eyes tense because they are forced to see or focus on objects. This condition can also cause headaches. Severe myopia will increase the risk of serious eye diseases, including retinal detachment. Glaucoma and cataracts can also occur.
How to Maintain Eye Health
Myopia cannot be prevented, but its development can be slowed down. Take care of your eye health by doing the following:
- Eat healthy foods. It is common knowledge that eating healthy foods can keep your organs healthy, including your eyes. Start increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables. In addition to carrots, it turns out that egg yolks and milk also contain a lot of vitamin A which is useful for eye health. Fish rich in omega 3, such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel, are also good for eye health.
- Avoid smoking. Smoking is not good for your health and can also affect your eye health.
- Use sunglasses with UV protection. Do not underestimate sunlight, because in addition to making your skin darker, the sun can also harm your eye health. Wear sunglasses that have UV protection to maintain eye health.
- Give your eyes regular breaks. When you are working on a computer or reading for long periods of time, take regular breaks by looking into the distance.
The sense of sight is one of the important parts to carry out daily activities. Also do regular check-ups to find out the condition of your eyes and immediately correct your eye disorders.
