Is myopia a "plus" or a "minus"? Eye surgery: nearsightedness

Ophthalmologists often hear from patients the question: "Is myopia a" plus "or a" minus "? And it's not about the merits or demerits of such a pathological phenomenon. Of course, there is nothing good if a person is diagnosed with nearsightedness. Points "plus" or "minus" should be bought in this case - that's what the patients are interested in.

Definition

Myopia (the medical name for myopia) is a rather common pathology of eye refraction, as a result of which the formation of images of objects occurs in front of the retina. People with such a sickness see it well, but it's bad in the distance. Deleted objects seem to them blurry, blurry, unsharp. Below one, visual acuity falls.

Classification

When a person's eye length is increased, axial myopia is diagnosed. If the cornea has a significant refractive force, at which a small focal length is formed, refractive myopia develops. As a rule, these two species are combined and present simultaneously.

Kinds of myopia depending on how much the visual acuity is reduced:

• Weak - up to three diopters;
• Average - up to six diopters;
• Strong - above six diopters.

Terms and causes of occurrence

Myopia can develop at any age, but often for the first time it is found in children of seven to twelve years. In the adolescent period, short-sightedness usually intensifies. Stabilization of vision occurs at the age of eighteen to forty years.

The causes of the development of myopia have not been fully understood until now. But certain risk factors are identified, which include:

• Heredity. In the event that both parents are short-sighted, the likelihood of detecting myopia in a child under the age of eighteen increases to fifty percent. If both parents have normal vision, the risk of a child's nearsightedness is only eight percent. Scientists believe that hereditary factors in the synthesis of collagen (connective tissue protein), which is necessary for the structure of the sclera (the shell of the eye), determine a number of defects. The lack of various microelements, necessary for the synthesis of sclera, in the diet can promote the progression of myopia.
• Overexertion of the eyes. Intense and prolonged loads, improper landing in writing and reading, poor lighting in the workplace, excessive enthusiasm for the computer and television - all this provokes myopia. Is it a plus or a minus when a child reads a lot? From the point of view of his intellectual development, of course, plus. But from the point of view of health, the answer is not so clear-cut. As a rule, myopia develops precisely when schooling begins.
• Incorrect correction. When the first problems appear, correction of vision should be performed immediately. With short-sightedness, there is an overstrain of the eye muscles, which in the absence of correction leads to the progression of pathology, and sometimes even to the development of the "lazy eye" syndrome (amblyopia) and strabismus. Also helps to increase myopia selection of too "strong" contact lenses or glasses.

Progressing myopia

This condition is diagnosed when the degree of myopia increases by one diopter and more per year. The most intensive pathology progresses in children of school years, because during the training they receive strong visual loads. Also at the same time, the body, in particular the eyes, is actively growing. Extension in the anteroposterior direction of the eyeball in a number of cases takes a pathological character, which involves detachment and rupture of the retina, deterioration of the nutrition of the eye tissues, and opacification of the vitreous humor.

People with myopia are not recommended to work on lifting heavy weights or tilting the head down when the body is bent, sports that require body shaking (wrestling, jumping, boxing, etc.). Such actions can lead not only to detachment of the retina, but even to blindness.

Progressing pathology gradually irreversibly changes the central parts of the ocular membrane and significantly reduces visual acuity. If peripheral retinal dystrophy is found , leading to its detachment, laser eye coagulation is required.

Prophylaxis of myopia

To prevent the development of myopia, special attention should be paid to the lighting regime. Loads on the eyes should occur only in good light. It should be used top lighting and table lamps with a power of sixty to one hundred watts. Lamps of daylight in writing, reading can not be used.

It is also necessary to optimize the regimes of physical and visual loads. Classes associated with eye strain should alternate with a mobile, active rest. With myopia with a reduction in visual acuity up to three diopters, physical loads are not usually limited. When myopia is moderate or severe, it is forbidden to jump and lift weights. In work involving eye strain, it is recommended to exercise gymnastics for the organs of vision every twenty to thirty minutes . Prevention of myopia should be carried out in all children of school years.

Conservative treatment

There are several options for vision correction in myopia. The very first thing to do is use the ophthalmologist to pick up glasses. For myopia is characterized by a deterioration in the vision of objects that are in the distance, so you should use glasses with a minus sign. Also, under the supervision of a specialist, it is necessary to train muscles, which, when overstrained, result in an increase in myopia. Activities include instillation of medicines, laser stimulation, special eye gymnastics, video-computer vision correction.

At least once every six months, it is necessary to carry out ophthalmologic diagnostics - to measure with the help of ultrasound equipment the longitudinal size of the eye. Prepare for a long work, because correcting myopia is not easy. It should, among other things, carry out general strengthening measures: to do massage of the collar zone, to go swimming, to take a contrast shower. However, any actions need to be coordinated with the ophthalmologist.

A huge role in the treatment of myopia is balanced, proper nutrition. About what vitamins are needed for the eyes with myopia, let's talk below.

Preparations for the restoration of vision

We will single out several complex agents that have all the vitamins necessary for the eyes in myopia.

• "Lutein-complex" is a preparation serving as an additional source of useful substances and minerals for the organs of vision. With myopia, it improves the functional state of the eyes. Recommended for schoolchildren and adults who work long hours at the computer.
• Vitrum Vision is a tool that ophthalmologists are advised to use for the prevention of nearsightedness, as well as for those who work in dark spaces.

Vitamins

In addition to medicines, there are also separate vitamins for the restoration of vision. Perhaps, the main one is blueberry extract. Fruits and leaves of this plant produce vasoprotective and antioxidant actions, strengthen the vascular walls, thereby increasing their elasticity, reduce the fragility of capillaries, prevent the development of cataracts, improve blood supply to the retina. Bilberry extract should be taken not only to people with myopia, but also to those who suffer from other eye diseases.

Indispensable in the therapy of myopia are vitamins A, B2, B12, B6, C. To consume them all you need in a complex - so you can stabilize, and if possible even improve visual acuity.

Glasses or lenses?

Now you already know that in the question that myopia is a "plus" or "minus", we are talking about a suitable sign for such a pathology glasses or contact lenses. And what of these correction tools is preferable to use? Perhaps, there is no definite answer. And one, and the other option has its advantages and disadvantages. But first things first.

Glasses

To date, this is still the most common method of vision correction. However, the glasses give their owner a lot of inconvenience: they constantly sweat, fall, slide, get dirty, and interfere with sports or any other active activity. In addition, glasses of one hundred percent vision correction do not provide. They significantly limit lateral vision, disrupt spatial perception and stereoscopic effect, which is especially important for drivers. In the event of a fall or accident, broken glasses can cause serious injury. And if you pick them wrong, then you guarantee yourself a progression of myopia and eternal overwork of the eyes. And yet, despite all the shortcomings, glasses are the simplest, cheapest and safest means of improving eyesight.

Contact lenses

Sporting and active people, as a rule, prefer this option of correction. Indeed, before the glasses, the lens has a number of tangible benefits. They do not interfere with physical activities and can provide even the most mobile people with a normal life. Still, wearing lenses is also fraught with inconveniences. Many simply can not get used to the fact that there is an extraneous object in their eyes, and some people have allergic reactions. Even there is an opinion that users of lenses can always be recognized by red eyes. But it's not so bad. Those who use this method of vision correction risk getting infectious complications, including severe ones, which threaten to completely lose the ability to see. It is contraindicated to wear lenses in the period of any, even the slightest catarrhal disease. Among other things, it causes difficulties and the process of installing / removing them: it is quite unpleasant, but worse, at the most inopportune moment the lens can come off.

Because of these shortcomings of conservative ways to improve vision, many people prefer to resort to such treatment options as eye surgery. Short-sightedness and truth can be eliminated by surgical methods. How? Now tell.

Radial keratotomy

The principle of such an operation was proposed in 1951 by a surgeon from Japan, Sato. Later, the technique was refined in detail in MNTC "Eye Microsurgery". Radial keratotomy consists in changing the shape of the cornea by making a shallow notch on the periphery of the corneal window with the finest diamond knife. The result is a lens that has a different (predetermined) refractive power. The operation does not affect the central zone, and therefore almost does not cause complications, such as, for example, a decrease in the transparency of the cornea or the displacement of the optical center. In some cases, this method can eliminate even posttraumatic or congenital astigmatism. And another plus - this correction is much cheaper than laser. The operation is effective in case of myopia with a decrease in visual acuity from one to four or five diopters. Currently, both domestic and foreign experts recommend this surgical way to improve the vision as the most effective, reliable and safe. In 85 percent of cases, radial keratotomy allows to give visual acuity in 0.5 diopters and above.

LASIK

This is also a safe and effective operation for the eyes. Myopia is not the only pathology that can be corrected in this way, but most often it is used specifically to eliminate myopia. The mechanism consists in the following: using a special instrument, microkeratome, a small valve is made in the protective layer of the cornea, and then the inner homogeneous layers of the cornea are vaporized by an excimer laser to the depth necessary to give it the necessary curvature. After that, the protective layer is returned to its place. The operation allows to correct myopia with a decrease in visual acuity up to 15 diopters, and also to shorten the rehabilitation period for several days. If myopia is very strong (more than 15 diopters), LASIK is not recommended, because during the operation the cornea is dangerously thinned. With such a degree of myopia, only the implantation of the intraocular lens can help.