Do you have myopia? Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a widespread vision problem that typically develops between ages six and 14 and can continue into adulthood. In the past, eye doctors thought myopia stabilizes once the eye stops growing longer around age 20 or 21.

But recent studies show that myopia progression can still affect adults. Even adults with stable myopia need regular eye health checkups. Your eye doctor can detect myopia during a comprehensive eye exam.

What Causes Myopia?

Myopia occurs when the eyeball grows longer than normal from front to back. When the eye is too long, it will not focus light correctly. Instead of light rays falling directly on the retina (the light-sensitive eye part), they fall in front of it. This results in a refractive error that makes distant images appear fuzzy.

Children are more likely to develop nearsightedness if their parents have myopia. Also, spending too much time doing close-up activities, such as reading or using a computer, can trigger or worsen myopia.

How Do You Know If You Have Myopia?

The signs of myopia include:

• Squinting when looking into the distance

• Headaches

• Eyestrain

• Eye fatigue

• Holding your book or phone close to your eyes to see better

Diagnosing Myopia

If you are experiencing myopia symptoms, your eye doctor will perform eye tests to determine your symptoms. Your eye doctor may use the following tests to detect and diagnose myopia.

Visual Acuity Exam

A visual acuity exam checks your vision's sharpness. How well do you see at a distance? During the exam, you will cover or close one eye and read different-sized symbols or letters on an eye chart. Then you will repeat the test with the other eye covered. The results will show how well you can see from a certain distance. In most cases, that will be a distance of 20 feet.

Visual acuity of 20/20 means your eyesight is normal. 20/40 vision means you can read letters or symbols at 20 feet that someone with normal vision can read at 40 feet. That indicates you have myopia, but only mildly.

Eye doctors consider a person legally blind if they have visual acuity of 20/200. If your vision is not 20/20, your eye doctor can recommend eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery to improve it.

Phoropter Exam

During a phoropter exam, you will read letters or symbols on an eye chart through an eye-testing device. The device examines your natural eye lenses using various lenses to determine your vision problem. The lenses switch as you look through them, and you can pick the lens that helps you see the eye chart more clearly.

The phoropter also checks your binocular vision to determine how well your eyes work together. It helps assess how well your eye muscles coordinate to make your eyes work effectively. Your feedback from the test, along with the phoropter’s recordings, will help ensure that your treatment matches your eye needs. That way, you can enjoy sharper vision daily.

Have your eye doctor check your vision for any signs of myopia. Early detection and treatment can slow down myopia, improve your eyesight, and promote your general eye health.

To learn more about detecting myopia, visit Gregor Eye Care at our office in Overland Park, Kansas. Call (913) 685-0212 to book an appointment today. Call (913) 742-3825 in the event of emergencies or after hours.