Myopic

Myopia is a refractive problem in which distant objects cannot be seen clearly due to the cornea being longer than normal. In people with myopia, the light coming into the eye from outside is refracted incorrectly in the cornea and focuses on the front region of the retina. As a result, myopic patients cannot see the distance clearly.

Myopia is one of the most common vision defects all over the world and is the inability to see the distance clearly. Some studies show that approximately 70-90% of the Asian population, especially, has nearsightedness. It is usually caused by a structural defect in the eyes, and while people see nearby objects clearly, they see distant objects more blurry. Although it is not known exactly what causes myopia, according to scientists, genetic factors play an important role in the development of vision defects. Myopia can be seen after birth or may occur in later years of life. It is possible to alleviate myopia-related complaints with early diagnosis and treatment. Untreated myopia can cause more serious vision problems in later ages. Myopia often shows its first symptoms between the ages of 6-13. Symptoms of myopia occur at an early age, with problems such as not being able to see distant letters clearly in the classroom environment. In adults, it causes complaints such as not being able to see subtitles while watching television and having difficulty driving at night. The quality of life of patients can be increased with methods such as glasses, contact lenses and eye laser surgery for myopia treatment. Treatment can be performed more easily at lower degrees of visual impairment.

What is Myopia?

Myopia can be defined as a person's ability to see distant objects blurry, that is, not being able to see the distance clearly. Under normal circumstances, the eye accurately focuses an image on the retina. . While patients do not have any problems in seeing close up, they have difficulty in seeing distant objects and various signs.

The light coming into the eye from outside is first refracted on the cornea layer, which is located in the front part of the eye and resembles a dome in shape. Refraction of light in the cornea helps the eye focus images. Then, the light passing through the pupil reaches the eye lens. At this point the light is refracted a second time. The light refracted a second time falls on the yellow spot on the retina. There are light-sensitive nerve cells in the retina. Nerve cells transmit the light coming from outside to the vision center in the brain. In the visual center in the brain, the images from the two eyes are combined into a single image and vision occurs. Any disruption in this process causes vision defects. It is a refractive error such as myopia, astigmatism and hyperopia. In myopia, as in other eye refractive errors, the image cannot be focused correctly on the retina. Instead of the image coming from the outside falling on the retina, it falls on the light-sensitive area in front of the retina. The problem, also referred to as refractive error, occurs when the image is formed in front of the retina rather than on it. In these people, the image becomes blurred and a clear image cannot be obtained in the eye. In addition to these, although rare, different types of myopia such as high myopia and degenerative myopia can also be seen. An eye defect with inherited high degrees of myopia is referred to as high myopia. High myopia occurs when the eyeball grows larger than it should and extends towards the cornea. People with high myopia may experience more serious eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma in the future. Degenerative myopia is a much rarer type of myopia and usually occurs in the first years of life. In the future, it may damage the retina and cause vision loss.

How is myopia treated?

Myopia treatment, prescription glasses, prescription contact lenses, laser treatment or intraocular lens It is performed with one of the operation options.

Ophthalmologists who are experts in the field first perform a detailed examination of patients who apply to health institutions with the complaint of not being able to see clearly in the distance and determine the degree of myopia. After a detailed eye examination, a treatment option is determined according to the person's age and general health condition. Glasses are generally preferred for myopia treatment in children. The use of glasses largely prevents the progression of eye disorders. For this reason, those whose children have myopia should consult an ophthalmologist without delay. Glasses help focus light on the retina. Commonly used procedures for myopia treatment can be listed as follows:

• Glasses treatment: Glasses treatment does not completely eliminate myopia vision defect. However, thanks to glasses, the progression of the defect can be slowed down and distance can be seen more clearly. Depending on the degree of myopia, glasses may need to be used constantly. However, in some cases, using glasses only while driving or looking at the screen may be sufficient.
• Contact lens treatment: Although their use is a little more difficult, especially for children, compared to glasses, contact lenses are also frequently used in treatment.
< li>LASIK method: In addition to glasses and contact lenses, surgical treatment options are also used in the treatment of myopia. LASIK technique is a laser eye surgery technique that is widely used today in the treatment of eye disorders. During the LASIK procedure, an incision, also called a flap, is first made on the upper part of the cornea using a bladeless laser. Then, the cornea is reshaped with the help of laser beams and the flap is closed again.
• LASEK method: In the LASEK method, alcohol is applied to the cornea and the flap is opened manually. The cornea is then reshaped with the help of laser beams and the flap is placed in place. Then, an unnumbered transparent contact lens is placed in the eye to protect the surface of the cornea and the eye is waited for healing.
• Trans PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): Trans PRK technique is the first technique used in laser eye surgeries. During the PRK procedure, also known as the eye-scratching operation, unlike other techniques, a flap is not opened over the cornea. Instead, the epithelial tissue outside the cornea is stripped and the cornea is reshaped with the help of laser beams. Finally, a contact lens is placed to protect the corneal layer.
• Phakic intraocular lenses: In some patients, the corneal layer may be very thin. In this case, it may be difficult to use methods such as LASIK and LASEK. In this case, intraocular lenses can be placed just in front of the eye lens.

It is important to have regular eye examinations in people with myopia vision defect. It is important to consult the nearest health institution without wasting time, especially in cases such as flies flying in front of the eyes, halos around the light, or extreme sensitivity to light.

How is Myopia Test Done? How is it diagnosed?

Myopia test is performed to determine to what extent the eyes focus on distant shapes and to reveal the degree of optical lenses required to correct distance vision.

This test measures visual acuity written as a fraction of 20/40. During the test, we are shown the letters on a snellen chart. We are asked to recognize these letters.

The ophthalmologist uses a device called a phoropter to place a series of lenses in the front of the patient's eye. Afterwards, the light focus of the eyes is measured with the help of a retinoscope. The glasses number, that is, the degree of vision problem the person has, is determined according to the answers given by the person. If the doctor deems it necessary, the doctor may also use eye drops to prevent the focus of the eye from changing during the test.

After myopia is diagnosed in the person, fundus examinations should be performed at regular intervals. There is a risk of retinal tears in these eyes, which have larger than normal corneas and outer surfaces. If these tears are not detected early, greater vision problems may occur in the future.