Myopia Symptoms

Many Americans experience Myopia symptoms at some point in their lives. An estimated 25% of the American population has some form of Myopia. The quality of our eyesight deteriorates as we age, and it can affect our ability to see at a distance.

Do any of these Myopia symptoms sound familiar to you?

  • Do you have trouble seeing things at a distance? 
  • Is driving at night challenging because everything is blurry?
  • Do you struggle to read street signs?
  • Are you having frequent headaches?
  • Do you find yourself rubbing your eyes?

All of these problems are symptoms of Myopia, and experiencing any one of them is frustrating.

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

What is Myopia? Myopia is a condition that affects the cornea in your eye. It’s more commonly referred to as nearsightedness.

The cornea is responsible for protecting the lens of your eye. With Myopia, light is unable to filter into the retina completely, forcing your eyes to compensate. An individual with Myopia will often squint to try and see objects that are far away from them. They do this in an attempt to sharpen the image and make it easier to see clearly.

Common Myopia Symptoms

There are several levels of Myopia. Your doctor may diagnose you with mild or severe Myopia, or something in between. The three categories of Myopia include low, high, and degenerative.

Are you worried you may have Myopia? Here’s a list of the most common Myopia symptoms:

  • Blurry vision when focusing on distant objects. Myopia affects your ability to see distant objects. An individual with Myopia may struggle to read distant license plates, street signs, or other objects far away.
  • Frequent squinting. Individuals with Myopia tend to squint as a way to bring distant objects into focus.
  • Headaches. Blurry vision and constant eye strain can lead to headaches and are associated with Myopia.
  • Trouble driving at night. Myopia makes it difficult to see at a distance. This difficulty amplifies when trying to drive at night.

How to Spot People With Myopia Symptoms?

Myopia is easy for your eye doctor to diagnose. But most individuals will shrug off mild Myopia as a minor nuisance. An individual with Myopia may show the following behaviors:

  • Sitting close to the television, in the front row at a movie theater, or near the front of the classroom.
  • An unawareness of objects that are far away
  • Excessive blinking
  • Eye rubbing

You rely on your eyes for many things in life. Why let Myopia affect your ability to see properly?

Why is Myopia Dangerous?

Myopia is dangerous because it usually gets worse over time. That leads to some patients and parents to ask “Can’t we just keep getting stronger prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses?”

In short, the answer is that this is not a good strategy if you want to preserve your eyesight. Here’s why:

  • People with -3.00 or greater Myopia run the risk of developing cataracts three times that of a normal eye, and the risk of retinal detachment increases by nine times. 
  • Once children reach -5.00 of Myopia, the risk of cataracts increases to five times and retinal detachment increases to 21 times. 
  • The risk of Macular degeneration increases to 40 times greater.
  • Overall, patients with myopia have a two to three times greater risk of developing glaucoma.

The proper way to treat Myopia is not with increasingly stronger lenses, but with a vigorous course of Myopia Control, such as OrthoKeratology (OrthoK), specialty contact lenses and special eye drops. At times, more than one of these treatments is recommended for effective Myopia Control.

Can myopia cause blindness?

High myopia may raise your risks of developing more serious sight conditions later in life, such as glaucoma, detached retinas, and cataracts. Left untreated, high myopia complications can lead to blindness, so regular eye exams are critical.

Myopia Treatments

Myopia Control describes the methods of treating and limiting the effects of Myopia. Myopia is treatable using prescription glasses, Orthokeratology, contact lenses, or refractive surgery. Orthokeratology treatment, or Ortho-K, is a non-surgical procedure that reshapes the cornea, and is very effective at reducing and reversing Myopia. But there are other methods of Myopia Control as well.

Get Your Myopia Symptoms Tested Today

Diagnosing Myopia is a relatively easy process that any qualified Optometrist can do through a standard eye exam, though it is best to have a Myopia Specialist examine your eyes if you think you might have the disease. While Myopia isn’t life-threatening, it can reduce your quality of life, and it can get worse over time and cause increased potential for other vision loss including Glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment.

We recommend that you consult with your eye doctor regularly to get tested for Myopia and other eye diseases. Schedule your next eye exam with Dr. Barry Leonard & Associates today. You can book it by calling us at 818-891-6711 or make an appointment online.

There’s no reason to let Myopia affect your ability to enjoy your life. Get diagnosed today and learn more about how you can overcome your Myopia and get back to seeing clearly.