Myopia (Near-Sighted)

The myopic or “nearsighted” patient can see objects clearly at a near distance, but when objects are further away they become blurred and out of focus. Myopia is usually associated with your eyes at birth and most consider it a genetic disorder of vision. However, it is sometimes can develop in early adulthood. If you work at very close distances, you can over time develop a myopic condition in your vision.

The myopic eye is at higher risk for retinal detachment and is another reason that myopic patients should take their annual examinations seriously throughout their adult life. Although rare, the retinal detachment rates are still under investigation by leading eye care institutions as they relate to the myopic patients.

Most myopic conditions can be accommodated in the younger patients and if not, they most often can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Sometimes, myopia continues to increase as we grow older. That is why the older we get the more you must change glasses Rx and increase the power within your prescription.

Myopia is a condition that affects many people. Over the last ten years many new surgical treatments have been FDA approved and introduced to correct the myopic condition. LASIK, PRK and other new procedures can correct myopia and nearsightedness. Ask your doctor at Sioux Falls Family Vision about how you might learn more about the alternatives available for the myopic condition. It’s an exciting time for the treatment of myopia as we have excellent results and many happy patients who have chosen to have their myopia corrected with laser based surgery.