The simplest treatment for nearsightedness is wearing corrective lenses, either eyeglasses or contact lenses. Another treatment option is surgery. Three common surgeries include:
LASIK (Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis)In this procedure, an ophthalmologist first cuts a round, hinged flap in your cornea.
Using an excimer laser (which, unlike other lasers, produces no heat), the doctor will remove layers from the center of your cornea to change its shape and improve your vision.
LASEK (Laser-Assisted Subepithelial Keratectomy)In this procedure, the doctor works only on the cornea’s thin outer layer (epithelium).
After creating a flap, the doctor then uses an excimer laser to reshape the outer layer of the cornea.
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)In this procedure, which is similar to LASEK, the epithelium is completely removed by the doctor.
After using the laser to reshape the cornea, the doctor does not replace the epithelium, which grows back and conforms to the new shape of the cornea.
Complications from these surgeries may include:
- Under- or overcorrection of your original vision problem
- Vision problems, such as halos or other effects around bright lights
- Dry eye
- Infection
- Corneal scarring
- Vision loss (in rare cases)
Medication Options
A study published in 2017 revealed that daily doses of low concentration atropine eye drops can effectively prevent the onset of nearsightedness, without causing significant side effects.The researchers aren’t sure exactly how atropine affects myopia, but they hypothesize that the medication may stimulate the release of dopamine in the eye.
Clinical trials are currently looking at the effectiveness and safety of atropine drops for children. Research is ongoing but it appears that low-dose drops may help slow the progression of myopia in kids.
Nonmedical Therapies
Orthokeratology is a nonsurgical option for treating myopia. Also known as Ortho-k or corneal refractive therapy (CRT), it consists of wearing rigid contact lenses designed to gradually flatten the curvature of the cornea. As a result, the eye changes how it focuses light. The contacts are worn for brief periods of several hours — when you’re sleeping, for example. During the day, the contacts are removed, and vision may be temporarily clear.
People with myopia due to visual stress can also use vision therapy, reports the AOA. Through various eye exercises, a poor ability to focus can be improved, and clearer distance vision regained.
Prevention of Nearsightedness
The AOA notes that children who are at high risk of progressive myopia (due to family history, early age of onset, and long periods of close-up work) may be able to slow the progression with bifocal glasses or contact lenses, orthokeratology, eye drops, or a combination of these.Results of a clinical trial funded by the National Eye Institute and published in 2020 found that myopia progression was slower in children who wore multifocal contact lenses.
Clinicians in Taiwan have identified spending time outdoors as a preventive measure for myopia in children.
You can maintain your eye health by avoiding or limiting activities that lead to eye strain, such as time spent on digital devices.
FAQs
Nearsightedness is a common vision condition in which close objects look clear but far objects look blurry. The medical term for nearsightedness is myopia. Myopia happens when the shape of the eye — or the shape of certain parts of the eye — causes light rays to bend or refract.
What is myopia and nearsightedness? ›
Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which people can see close objects clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred. Myopia occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is too curved.
What is myopia causes and treatment? ›
It affects your distance vision — you can see objects that are near, but you have trouble viewing objects that are farther away like grocery store aisle markers or road signs. Myopia treatments include glasses, contact lenses or surgery.
What is the diagnosis for nearsightedness? ›
Myopia | Johns Hopkins Medicine.
How can I prevent myopia in my eyes? ›
Sit in a comfortable position, blink your eyes 10 times quickly, then close your eyes for 20 seconds. Repeat the eye exercises 5 to 10 times if your eyes feel tired. Avoiding Excessive Screen Time It's also important to avoid looking at screens for too long or excessively, as it makes the eyes tired.
How to fix nearsightedness naturally? ›
5 Natural Treatments for Myopia
- Increase the Time You Spend Outside. Spending more time outdoors during adolescence and your early adult years may decrease the lifetime risk of nearsightedness. ...
- Protect Your Eyes from the Sun. ...
- Eat Healthily. ...
- Reduce Eyestrain. ...
- Don't Smoke.
Myopia tends to get worse for kids as they age, but it can also get worse for children and adults when they experience a significant amount of frequent visual stress from focusing on nearby objects, if they spend most—or all—of their time indoors, and because of some medical conditions, like diabetes.
Is there a fix for myopia? ›
Corrective Eye Surgery
While glasses and contact lenses can provide relief when worn, and in the case with Ortho-k relief for the day, neither options provide a long-term permanent solution. The only permanent treatment option for myopia is refractive surgery.
How does myopia treatment work? ›
Myopia control spectacles and contact lenses are designed to focus peripheral light rays in front of the retina, to act as a stop signal to encourage slower eye growth and slow progression of myopia.
What is myopia and how it is controlled? ›
One out of two people (50%) have it. With myopia, the eye is longer than normal from front to back, or the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) is too steeply curved. This makes things that are far away from you look blurry. Myopia is corrected with glasses, contact lenses or surgery in some cases.
Left untreated, Progressive Myopia will get worse, and over time, will result in High Myopia. Patients with High Myopia have an even higher chance of all of these eye disorders. All of these secondary (and mostly avoidable) severe conditions can lead to blindness in some patients.
Can myopia get better? ›
Myopia doesn't have a cure, but the treatments for it are very effective and in many cases can restore your vision to 20/20. LASIK and other surgeries, although they restore vision to perfect in most cases, aren't permanent cures. You're likely to need some vision correction as you continue to age.
Does myopia get worse without glasses? ›
Myopia continues to progress in most affected children whether or not they wear glasses. There are also times that the refractive error is different in the two eyes, meaning each eye has a different vision prescription. This can cause amblyopia (also called lazy eye) to develop.
How is myopia caused? ›
What causes nearsightedness? Nearsightedness happens when your eyeball grows too long from front to back, or when there are problems with the shape of your cornea (clear front layer of the eye) or lens (an inner part of the eye that helps the eye focus).
How can you prevent myopia early? ›
Implement the 20-20-20 rule
This rule encourages regular breaks and helps alleviate the strain on the eyes, potentially reducing the risk of myopia progression. The concept of the 20-20-20 rule is simple — for every 20 minutes of near work, take a 20-second break and focus on an object 20 feet away.
What does myopia look like? ›
Nearsightedness (myopia) is when close-up objects look clear but distant objects are blurry. For instance, you can read a map clearly but have trouble seeing well enough to drive a car. Nearsightedness is a common eye focusing disorder. It has been on the rise for several decades.
Can myopia be reversed? ›
Myopia cannot be reversed. Traditional vision correction methods, such as glasses or contact lenses, can enhance vision but do not cure myopia. Adult candidates for refractive eye surgeries, such as LASIK, can experience better vision by reshaping the eye's surface.
Does myopia get worse with age? ›
Myopia usually develops in childhood, around ages 5 to 14, and continues to worsen until early adulthood. The eye tends to grow most rapidly during the preschool and early elementary school years, and myopia onset at a younger age is associated with more rapid progression.
Is myopia a disability? ›
Is myopia considered a disability? In general, myopia (nearsightedness) is not considered a disability in the U.S. It does not make a person eligible for government benefits or ADA accommodations. However, progressive and high myopia can lead to vision loss and blindness if left unmanaged.
