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Myopia

Myopia results in difficulty in vision, the defect is measured in diopters, the stronger the myopia the higher the number of missing diopters (-1, -2,-3,……..). As the magnitude of the visual defect increases, the distance at which objects can be focused decreases (at -4 it is only 25 cm).

The main causes of myopia is the length of the eyeball, which is greater in the myopic eye than in the normal eye, which is called emmetropic in ophthalmic jargon.

More rarely, myopia may be caused by the increased curvature of the cornea or lens.

Because of the increased length of the eyeball, images focus not on the retina but in front of it.

Photo concession: Dr C. Benvenuti

Myopia is defined:

  • mild up to four diopters
  • average up to eight diopters
  • elevated beyond eight diopters

Physiological myopia and pathological (degenerative) myopia are also distinguished.

The myopic eye is not a diseased eye, but medium and high myopia can predispose to even major retinal disorders, so it is necessary to have periodic retinal fundus checks by seeing your ophthalmologist.

Myopia is corrected with diverging (concave) lenses that move the point where light rays converge further back the greater the correction, to compensate for the increased length of the bulb.

In the case of myopia, as in all refractive defects, surgery is possible to reduce the problem partially or even totally. It should be emphasized, however, that when undergoing this type of surgery, the eye remains structurally myopic, and it is therefore necessary to undergo periodic checkups by the ophthalmologist equally.