Myopia

Rare card · No. 16149

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness or short-sightedness, is an eye condition where light from distant objects focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. As a result, distant objects appear blurry, while close objects appear normal. Other symptoms may include headaches and eye strain. Severe myopia is associated with an increased risk of macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. Myopia results from the length of the eyeball growing too long or less commonly the lens or cornea being too strong. It is a type of refractive error. Diagnosis is by eye examination with an eye chart. Myopia is less common in people who spent more time outside during childhood. This lower risk may be due to greater exposure to sunlight. Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or by refractive surgery. Eyeglasses are the simplest and safest method of correction. Contact lenses can provide a relatively wider corrected field of vision, but are associated with an increased...

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