MYOPIA is the medical term for nearsightedness. When a person is myopic, near objects appear clear while distant objects are blurred. This is because the focusing power of the eye is too long for the length of the eye.
Ideally, the cornea and lens, the two focusing structures in the eye, focus images directly on the surface of the retina. If the eye is too long, or the focusing power too strong, the image is focused in front of the retina. By the time the image gets to the retina, it is blurred. Thus, the vision is blurred.
Corrective lenses in the form of glasses or contact lenses are used to refocus the image so that it falls directly on the retina, clearing the vision.
There are now surgical procedures that can be done to permanently correct mild to moderate amounts of myopia. Radial keratotomy and photorefractive keratectomy are operations that reshape the cornea, and thereby correct its focusing power.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained on this system is not intended to supplant individual professional consultation, but is offered as a community education service. Advice on individual problems should be obtained directly from a professional.
Copyright, 1994. Richard E. Gans, M.D.
Last Modified: August 23, 1996