Today, many school-age children suffer from myopia or myopia. Parents often ask an ophthalmologist questions: Why did my child's eyesight deteriorate when no one in our family suffers from it? Is it possible to cure or prevent the disease? Is it for life, and can it get worse?
Vitaliy Ivanov, ophthalmologist at the EMC Children's Clinic, answers the urgent questions of parents.
The causes of myopia or myopia are not fully understood, but some risk factors have been identified:
The first factor is heredity. If both parents suffer from myopia, then 50% of children have myopia before the age of 18. If both parents have normal eyesight, then myopia appears in only 8% of children. Scientists believe that heredity determines a number of defects in the formation of collagen, which is necessary for the construction of the sclera, the outer dense shell of the eye that performs the protective and supporting functions of the eye.
The second factor is eye strain. Intense and prolonged eye strain at close range, poor illumination of the work area, improper seating when writing and reading, prolonged computer work and excessive television viewing all contribute to the development of myopia. As a rule, the appearance of myopia coincides with the start of school, i.e. with a sharp increase in the strain on the child's eyes.
Myopia is a visual defect in which an image is formed not on the retina of the eye, but in front of it, resulting in a blurred image. The most common reason is an enlarged eyeball, as a result of which the retina is located behind the focal plane. At the same time, a person sees well up close, but sees poorly in the distance.
Myopia is extremely common, according to statistics, every third inhabitant of the planet suffers from it, and is more often detected in people living in an ecologically unfavorable area.
There are several ways to correct myopia:
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Contact lenses and glasses – they won't get rid of myopia, but they will help you see better and stop the process of vision deterioration. They must be selected individually, depending on concomitant eye diseases and visual acuity. Lenses and glasses can be prescribed for permanent wear, or only for distance. Contact lenses have significant advantages over regular glasses. They are as close to the eye as possible, thus creating a single optical system, so there is no narrowing of the field of view, and there is no distortion at the periphery of the gaze.
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Restorative activities – contrast shower, collar area massage, and swimming. With progressive myopia, the doctor may prescribe a course of vitamins and special medications that improve the nutrition of the retina as an adjunct to treatment.
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Muscle training – video computer vision correction, laser stimulation, instillation of special drugs, eye gymnastics courses.
Most often, drops are used to treat myopia, which relax the tense muscles of the eye and vasodilators.
However, the US National Institutes of Health claims that there are no ways to prevent myopia, and the use of glasses and contact lenses has no effect on the progression of this disease.
The only way to stop the elongation of the eyeball, avoid possible complications and fully restore vision in myopia is surgical treatment. The most popular laser vision correction, which is currently considered the most effective and safest.
Today's best technology
With the progression of myopia from 1 diopter or more per year, collagenoplasty or scleroplasty is performed.
In a person suffering from myopia, the retina is stretched, and it may rupture or detach. Therefore, it is very important for a person with myopia to visit an ophthalmologist at least once every 6 months to examine the condition of the retina.
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