How to treat high myopia?

Written by Zhou Qing
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 14, 2024
00:00
00:00

High myopia refers to a degree of nearsightedness above 1000 degrees. High myopia brings great troubles to people, even affecting their diet and preventing them from participating in high-intensity physical exercise. It may also lead to complications such as retinal detachment, cataracts, macular hemorrhage, macular degeneration, vitreous liquefaction degeneration, and glaucoma. The treatment of high myopia has always been a major challenge in ophthalmology. With the advent of refractive lens exchange surgery, after extensive clinical practice, it has now become a better option for correcting vision in patients with extremely high myopia. The refractive state of the eyeball is mainly determined by the refractive power of the eyeball and the length of the eye axis. In cases of nearsightedness, the lengthening of the eye axis causes the light to focus in front of the retina, making it difficult for patients to see distant objects clearly. During refractive lens exchange surgery, a concave lens specifically tailored to the patient is implanted into the eyeball to change the focal point of the light so that it accurately focuses on the retina, achieving the purpose of correcting nearsightedness. Refractive lens exchange surgery maintains the integrity and accommodative function of the eye's physiological structure, has a larger optical zone, eliminates aberrations, and has a wider range of adaptability compared to corneal refractive surgery. Post-surgery, patients experience less discomfort, faster vision recovery, stable refraction, and no regression phenomenon.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Lian Wen Xi
Pediatrics
51sec home-news-image

Is a child's vision of 4.7 considered nearsighted?

Children's vision at 4.7 does require a comprehensive analysis to determine if they are nearsighted. Generally, a child with a vision of 4.7 is likely to be nearsighted, but this single parameter should not be used to diagnose myopia. It's necessary to differentiate whether the child has true myopia or false myopia. Additionally, the issue could be amblyopia, astigmatism, or farsightedness. Moreover, the child's age also plays a significant role in assessing vision. For instance, a vision of 4.7 might indicate nearsightedness in a child aged seven or eight, but for a child around three years old, a vision of 4.7 is considered normal. Parents are advised to take their child to the hospital for a dilated refraction test to ascertain the specific condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Tao Yuan
Ophthalmology
58sec home-news-image

Can people with high myopia and floaters undergo myopia surgery?

Patients with high myopia who experience floaters can also undergo myopia correction surgery to eliminate nearsightedness. However, symptoms of floaters will not improve after the surgery. The commonly used myopia correction surgeries include laser surgery and the implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens for aphakic eyes. Patients need to visit the ophthalmology department of a hospital for optometry, corneal topography, and A-scan ultrasound examinations. The type of surgery is then determined based on the condition of the eyes. Floaters are caused by the clouding of the vitreous body within the eye due to aging. They can be treated with oral medications to promote absorption. For example, currently, lecithin complex iodine tablets can be taken, but the absorption is slow, requiring patients to adhere to regular treatment. (Please follow the doctor's advice when taking medication.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zheng Xin
Ophthalmology
39sec home-news-image

Does nearsightedness surgery require hospitalization?

Myopia surgery does not require hospitalization; it is completed on an outpatient basis. Before the surgery, routine blood tests, screenings for infectious diseases, and specialized eye examinations are conducted. If the pre-operative examinations are thorough and there are no contraindications for surgery, the procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis. After the surgery, patients can go home and must return to the surgical hospital the next day for a follow-up examination. Post-operative medication should be used as prescribed by the surgeon, and regular follow-up appointments should be scheduled.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
1min 20sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Shu Fang
Ophthalmology
43sec home-news-image

Can 600-degree acquired myopia be inherited?

A myopia of 600 degrees is considered high myopia, and it can be inherited by the next generation. Moreover, eyes with high myopia are prone to other complications at the back of the eye, such as retinal breaks, macular holes, and posterior staphyloma. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to high myopia and have regular check-ups. If both parents have high myopia, there is an 80% chance that their children will tend to be myopic. If one parent has high myopia, there is a 50% chance that their children will tend to be myopic. Even if neither parent is myopic, there is still about a 20% chance that their children will be myopic.