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Myopia
How can children with myopia recover their eyesight?
Children with myopia should go to a formal optometric center for eye examinations and to get properly prescribed glasses. After wearing glasses, it is important in daily life to not read or write in dim environments and to maintain a correct posture while reading or writing. Abide by the "rule of three": the distance between the eyes and the book should be about one foot; the distance between the body and the desk should be about one fist; and the distance from the tip of the pen to the holding point should be about one inch. This can help prevent the deepening of myopia in children. Additionally, after using the eyes for forty minutes, it is recommended to gaze into the distance or perform eye exercises to relieve eye fatigue. Children should engage in outdoor activities for more than two hours per day, and more than fourteen hours per week, and they should have regular check-ups, generally every six months, to ensure the prescription of the glasses matches the degree of myopia. Currently, there are also options like orthokeratology lenses that can be worn at night to effectively control the progression of myopia.
The main cause of myopia formation
Myopia is primarily caused by the focusing system of the eyeball focusing parallel light rays in front of the retina when our eyes are in a relaxed adjustment state. The far point of a myopic eye is at a certain point in front of the eye. The occurrence of myopia is influenced by a combination of factors including genetics and environment, and the incidence is still being explored. Based on the refractive components, myopia can be classified into refractive myopia and axial myopia. According to the degree of myopia, it can be classified into mild myopia (below 300 degrees), moderate myopia (300 to 600 degrees), and high myopia (above 600 degrees). The clinical manifestations of myopia include blurry distance vision but good near vision, often with fluctuating distance vision where squinting is needed to see clearly at a distance.
Which is more serious, amblyopia or myopia?
Amblyopia and myopia are two different concepts; there is no comparative severity between them. Amblyopia refers to a condition where, despite correction, vision still does not reach 0.8, which is defined as amblyopia and generally occurs before the age of eight. Myopia, on the other hand, is a type of refractive error. This condition can be corrected by wearing eyeglasses, contact lenses, or through myopia surgery after reaching adulthood.
What should I do if nearsightedness is inherited by my child?
Not all myopia is hereditary, but high myopia does have a genetic component. The occurrence of myopia is mainly related to genetic and environmental factors. If there are children in the family with a history of high myopia, they should develop good eye habits from a young age, or undergo genetic testing for high myopia. If myopia occurs, it can be corrected by wearing glasses, or by refractive surgery after reaching adulthood.
Does myopia correction rebound?
Will there be a rebound after myopia correction surgery? Generally, it relates to two aspects. The first is associated with your pre-surgery degree of myopia; the second relates to your habits in using your eyes after the surgery. Generally speaking, the higher the degree of myopia before the surgery, the more likely a rebound will occur. Roughly speaking, if your degree of myopia was above 700 degrees before the surgery, there's about a 20% to 30% chance of rebounding. However, a rebound does not mean it will return to the previous degree of over 700; typically, it might rebound by around 100 to 200 degrees. The second aspect is significantly related to your post-surgery visual habits. If, after the surgery, you frequently use computers, read documents, or use your phone, there’s a higher chance of experiencing some degree of rebound. Conversely, if your screen time is less, the proportion of myopia rebound tends to be smaller.
Can eye fatigue cause nearsightedness?
Eye fatigue can exacerbate myopia, and it is an important factor in worsening nearsightedness. When the eyes look into the distance, they are in a completely relaxed state, which does not cause or worsen myopia. Myopia occurs due to near-distance eye activities. Prolonged close-distance eye activities and working too closely can lead to chronic fatigue in the external eye muscles. When this happens, the eye axis is stretched and, over time, cannot fully return to its original state, resulting in the onset or worsening of myopia. Therefore, during daily eye use, it is essential to avoid excessive duration and too close distances to prevent fatigue and thus avoid worsening myopia.
Can myopia surgery correct astigmatism?
Myopia surgery can also remove astigmatism. Both myopia and astigmatism are common ophthalmological diseases, and they are different types of refractive errors that can occur simultaneously. Currently, there are various surgical methods to correct myopia, such as excimer laser surgery, full femtosecond laser surgery, half femtosecond laser surgery, and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation for phakic eyes. Whatever the type of surgery mentioned, it can correct and treat myopia while simultaneously removing the patient's astigmatism. Prior to surgery, a detailed optometric examination and ocular examination are required. Based on the patient's eye condition and specific degrees of myopia and astigmatism, a corresponding surgical plan is designed.
Is nearsightedness surgery safe?
Myopia surgery is relatively safe, but it is essential to understand the specific indications and contraindications before undergoing such a procedure. Firstly, myopia surgery involves operations on the cornea, including the creation of a concave lens on the surface, and intraocular procedures, such as the implantation of artificial lenses for those with lens-related issues. If there are other underlying retinal problems, these conditions are absolute contraindications. For surgeries on the cornea, it is crucial to measure the corneal thickness and rule out conditions like keratoconus. Once the contraindications and indications are properly assessed, these surgeries are very safe to perform.
Where is the incision made for nearsightedness surgery?
Firstly, myopia surgery essentially involves thinning the cornea by cutting it, which is like transferring the degree of myopia onto the cornea itself. Let's first talk about the layering of the cornea. From front to back, the cornea is divided into five layers, generally consisting of the epithelial layer, anterior elastic layer, stromal layer, posterior elastic layer, and the corneal endothelial layer. Among these layers, the stromal layer is the thickest, about 500 microns, accounting for over 90% of the total corneal thickness. Therefore, during myopia surgery, the main area of cutting is in the stromal layer of the cornea.