The Eye Care Blog

Approximately 14 million Americans over the age of 12 suffer from visual impairment, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The most common forms are the refractive disorders myopia and hyperopia.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a condition in which distant objects are out of focus. It happens when the eyeball is too long or when the outer layer of the eye, the cornea, has too much curvature. This causes the light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

Hyperopia (farsightedness) is the opposite problem: Close objects are out of focus. Here, the problem is that the eyeball is too short or the cornea has too little curvature. The light rays therefore focus behind the retina.

Current treatments for myopia and hyperopia include several that are widely used as well as those targeted for unusual cases. In addition, some new techniques are under development:

· Corrective lenses such as contacts or glasses.

· Laser-related surgery such as Lasik, or PRK (photorefractive keratectomy),

· Orthokeratology, a nonsurgical method using special rigid contact lenses that flatten the eye while you sleep.

· Clear lens extraction is a surgical procedure in which the lens in the eye is removed and an artificial lens is inserted.

· Phakic intraocular lens treatment involves inserting an implant into the eye while leaving the natural lens in place.

Researchers are also looking at ways of slowing the progression of myopia, especially among children:

· Bifocal glasses have been shown to slow the worsening of nearsightedness.

Link

Filed under Bifocals, Contact Lens, Dry Eyes, Eye Treatment, Glaucoma, Hyperopia, Lasik Eye Surgery

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