Understanding Nearsightedness

Nearsightedness or myopia is a vision disorder in which objects that are at a distance are blurred. Believed to be genetic, nearsightedness usually first occurs in children. However, from visual stress, the environment or certain health conditions, like diabetes, it can also occur.

The Reasons for Nearsightedness

The various environmental factors and health problems mentioned above can cause different kinds of nearsightedness, such as:

• Night myopia where a person experiences blurred distance vision at night because low light makes it difficult for his or her eyes to focus properly.
• False or pseudo myopia in which a person’s distance vision is blurred caused by overusing the eyes’ focusing mechanism after long periods of doing work up close. 
• Symptoms of nearsightedness can also be a sign of a variance in blood sugar levels due to either diabetes or an early indicator of a cataract.

Testing for Nearsightedness

As part of the testing procedure, a person reads letters on a chart at a distance. For those with normal eyes, the results will be 20/20, although some people have 20/15 vision which is even better.

Another test is when the optometrist uses an instrument called a phoropter in which different lenses are placed in front of the eyes to measure how they focus light with another instrument called a retinoscope.

You’re missing a whole world out there if you can’t see well. Visit this website today for all kinds of nearsighted treatment in La Mesa.