What Is Myopia?
Myopia is a progressive visual disorder that makes it difficult for people to see distant objects. This disorder is also referred to as nearsightedness or short-sightedness. It is quite a common condition. A range of factors could cause an individual to become myopic. Let’s find out the causes of this condition.
What Causes Myopia?
Myopia occurs when your eyeball is too long or your cornea (the protective outer layer of your eye) is too curved. The light entering your eyes will focus the image in front of the retina (the part of your eyes sensitive to light) instead of directly on the retina. This improper focus causes blurred vision. The medical term used for this abnormality is refractive error. There are two types of myopia:
High Myopia: It causes your eyeballs to grow very long and may result in other visual complications like a detached retina, cataract, and glaucoma. Degenerative Myopia: It is also called pathophysiological or malignant myopia. This type is often a result of the genes that you have inherited from your parents. Degenerative myopia usually worsens by the time you enter adulthood. It also increases your chances of having a detached retina, glaucoma, and abnormal blood vessel growth in the eye (choroid neovascularization).
Most of the times, the only evident symptom of myopia is the blurring of distant objects. In some cases, you may also notice the following signs.
Signs And Symptoms Of Myopia
The symptoms (other than blurred distant vision) include:
Headache Squinting Eye strain Eye fatigue Difficulty in reading the blackboard (in case of children)
These symptoms are usually associated with most visual disorders. People are often confused between nearsightedness and farsightedness. We have summed up the prominent differences between both below to help you differentiate better between the two eye disorders.
Nearsightedness Vs. Farsightedness
A few differences between myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) are: Nearsightedness Or Myopia
It is caused due to the elongation of your eyeball. It occurs when the light is focused in front of the retina. Myopic individuals can see close objects clearly and find it hard to see distant objects.
Farsightedness Or Hyperopia
It is caused due to shortening of the eyeball. It occurs when the light entering your eyes is focused behind the retina instead of directly on it. Farsighted individuals can see distant objects but are usually unable to see objects up close.
If you face difficulties in seeing distant objects, it is wise to get your eyes checked by a medical professional. Here are a few diagnostic tests that will help you.
How Is Myopia Diagnosed?
Your doctor may ask you to take an eye test that includes a refraction assessment and an eye health exam. They may use different instruments and ask you to look through several lenses to test your vision. Once your condition is confirmed, you may be asked to undergo an eye surgery or use contact lenses or glasses as part of your medical treatment. If you are not yet ready for surgery or simply want to stop using your lenses and restore your vision, there are a few other ways to solve your problem. The following home remedies help to restore your vision with time.
How To Cure Myopia Naturally
Natural Ways To Treat Myopia
1. Vitamin D
25-100 mcg of vitamin D Consume small amounts of vitamin D daily. Low serum vitamin D levels are often associated with myopia, especially in young adults (1). Restoring the deficiency can help with myopia to a certain extent.
2. Licorice
½ teaspoon of licorice 1 tablespoon of honey 1 teaspoon of ghee 1 glass of hot milk
You must drink these mixtures twice daily. Licorice is an excellent cure for myopia due to its revitalizing and regenerative properties. It contains isoliquiritigenin that is antiangiogenic and helps improve your vision (2).
3. Carrot Juice
1 glass of fresh carrot juice Consume a glass of fresh carrot juice daily. You must drink carrot juice twice daily. Carrot juice is orange due to the presence of carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin in it. These carotenoids constitute the main pigments found in the retina. They protect the macula from damage and improve your overall vision (3).
4. Amla Juice
½ cup of fresh amla juice Honey (as required)
You must drink this once every morning, preferably before breakfast. Amla juice is rich in vitamin C, a vitamin that is vital for optimum ocular health. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can reduce the damage and swelling in the eyeballs, promoting your recovery from myopia and other eye disorders like cataract (4).
5. Omega-3
250-500 mg omega-3s You must do this on a daily basis. Omega-3 fatty acids promote the repair of damaged cell membranes in your eyes, making them one of the best remedies to treat myopia and prevent its progression (5).
6. Rose Water
½ cup of rose water Cotton pads
Do this 1 to 2 times daily. Rose water can instantly soothe strained eyes. Myopia usually results from stressed eyes, and rose water can help relax them with its cooling properties (6).
7. Triphala
1 teaspoon of Triphala mixture 1 glass of lukewarm water Honey (optional)
Drink this mixture twice daily. Triphala is mainly made of three fruits from the Indian subcontinent – Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia belerica), and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula). This Ayurvedic mixture helps prevent eye disorders like cataract and improves your overall vision (7). You should also pay extra attention to your diet if you are myopic. In addition to following the above remedies, do not forget the include the foods given below in your diet to aid vision health.
What Foods Are Good For Managing Myopia?
Myopic individuals must include the following foods in their diet to avoid further damage and speed up their recovery from nearsightedness:
Deepwater fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens Carrots Eggs Berries and citrus fruits Beef Nuts
It doesn’t stop here! You will have to make some changes to your lifestyle to protect your eyes from further damage like cataract or detachment of the retina. Listed below are a few tips that might help you.
Prevention Tips
Observe your child for signs of myopia. Using prescribed glasses early in the childhood can reduce or even prevent myopia. Spend more time on outdoor activities. Practice Bates eye exercises using a Snellen Chart with alphabets decreasing in size. Or stretch the oblique muscles of your eyes with exercises using a pencil or a pointed finger. Take breaks and look around when you are busy with tasks like typing on your laptop or using your notepad. Ensure that you have good lighting around while reading, watching TV, and using the computer. Avoid viewing objects closely for extended periods. Minimize or eliminate the use of small screens. Opt for a maintenance vision therapy.
Straining your eyes will just make things worse – so, avoid any activity that involves straining your eyes for long periods. In case your problem isn’t solved after following the tips and remedies discussed in this article, it is best to seek medical advice and subsequent treatment. Can myopia lead to blindness? Yes, myopia can lead to blindness. The rapid elongation of your eyeball can lead to severe progression of myopia, which, in turn, may also result in loss of vision. What is the type of lens used to correct myopia? Concave lenses are usually used to correct myopia. The light from your surroundings first falls on the concave lens before hitting the convex lens of your eyes. Does myopia improve with age? Although myopia cannot be fixed or reversed, it can be managed. The objective of the treatment is to strengthen your vision and prevent it from deteriorating. Your ophthalmologist may ask you to wear glasses or contact lenses depending on the severity of the condition. Does studying cause myopia? Yes, a study demonstrates that exposure to long years of education is a factor in the increased incidence of myopia (8).
