Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Causes, Treatment, and Symptoms

Myopia, also called nearsightedness, is an extremely common vision problem. If you think you may have myopia and live in Scottsdale, Phoenix, or the surrounding areas, contact our team at Optical Expressions to schedule an eye exam with one of our doctors of optometry.

Causes

Nearsightedness is caused by a problem with the shape of the eye. With this condition, the lens or cornea has too much of a curve for the eyeball’s length. This results in light rays refracting incorrectly. The images you see are then focused on an area near your retina but not on it. Nearsightedness is often hereditary, but there are other ways for it to happen. Those who spend most of their time inside and read a lot may develop myopia.

Symptoms

The main symptom is that you see well up close, but things far away appear blurry. However, there may be other symptoms that come with myopia. You may get headaches and eye strain from straining to see. You may squint your eyes often in an attempt to see something far away. You may blink more than usual. In children, they will often rub their eyes. Their grades in school may become and is often a sign of myopia.

Treatment

There are several ways for an optometrist to treat myopia so that you can see more clearly. Many people choose to wear glasses to correct their vision. Others choose contact lenses. LASIK is also an option for many patients. There are other treatments, however, that are often used for children. Atropine drops are considered one of the best ways to treat myopia. You may also want to consider Ortho-K. This treatment involves wearing lenses at night that correct the curve of the eye so that no vision correction is needed the next day.

Contact Our Optometrists for Myopia Control

To find out if you or your child have myopia, contact our eye doctors to schedule an eye exam. Call our team at Optical Expressions at one of our three convenient locations. You can also reach us through our website by using our online contact form.

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