Myopia is a condition that occurs when, in eyes that are larger than normal, images are focused in front of the retina and not on it. This results in blurred vision at far distances and a significant decrease in visual acuity.
We speak of high myopia when a patient has more than 6 diopters. This type of myopia is associated with even longer eyes, that is, with a very long axial length. It is also considered high myopia if the patient has an anteroposterior axis greater than 26mm.
This type of myopia currently affects 2% of the population and continues to increase in developed countries, although the causes have not been determined. High myopia, which usually appears during childhood and stabilizes between 20 and 30 years of age, can cause legal blindness in the most severe cases.
This refractive defect poses a risk to vision as it can lead to more severe visual pathologies.
In this type of disorder, the more diopters increase, the more the eye lengthens (axial length) and the greater the risk of associated visual disorders.
Some of these disorders may include:
In principle, there is no specific treatment for high myopia and, in any case, an individual assessment of each patient should be made to establish the guidelines to be followed.
Blurred vision, or refractive error, can be corrected by the use of contact lenses and/or correction with glasses. Also, vision correction can be performed by undergoing refractive surgery for myopia with LASIK laser.
There is also the possibility of implanting intraocular lenses (ICL type phakic lenses), which consists of implanting a lens between the iris and the crystalline lens. This technique is reversible and preserves the cornea in its natural state.
Myopia surgery is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning that the patient is not hospitalized.
Until recently, there was no effective method to slow the progression of myopia. Recently, studies in children have shown that orthokeratology and treatment with low-dose atropine eye drops are the only treatments that succeed in slowing its progression.
On the other hand, the resulting complications can also be treated. Good ophthalmologic follow-up is of vital importance.
That is to say, vision controls should be performed periodically to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of visual disorders associated with high myopia. Early diagnosis of these complications will allow us to minimize vision loss.
Likewise, it is important to remember that refractive surgery corrects vision, but does not prevent the disorders associated with this pathology from developing.
Refractive surgery aims to correct refractive errors, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism or presbyopia to obtain a good visual quality and to avoid depending on the use of glasses or contact lenses.
Myopia (near-sightedness or short-sightedness) is a visual defect suffered by myopic or short-sighted people, who can clearly see close objects, but can’t properly focus far distance ones.
Childhood myopia is the refractive defect that causes blurred vision for objects that are far away, affecting children. It is usually treated with prescription glasses.
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