Myopia in San Antonio, TX

A little more than 130 million people in the United States are affected by nearsightedness (myopia), making it one of the most prevalent refractive errors. It is a vision impairment that leads to problems with or a lack of ability to see items or focal points that are distant from the eye. This means that far-away items or images may be fuzzy or you may be unable to perceive them altogether.

Keratoconus causes nearsighted vision and also causes astigmatism, a common imperfection of the eye’s curvature that results in blurry vision. You could be diagnosed with severe, moderate, or slight myopia. People who have myopia can generally see very well close up but have difficulty seeing distant things, such as street signs while driving, presentation screens at work or in the classroom, or movie screens.

If you have myopia, we have many options to correct it and help clear up your vision. At her practice in San Antonio, TX, optometrist Dr. Victoria Perez offers diagnoses of sight impairments, like nearsightedness, and offers suitable corrective options that can accommodate your day-to-day activities. Call Texas State Optical Bandera to arrange a refractive exam if you are experiencing shifts in your vision or are experiencing problems seeing far-away items.

Finding out if you have myopia is simple and almost always done during a routine eye examination. During this appointment, Dr. Perez will use a visual acuity test to measure how well you can see in detail at various distances. In this test, you will be asked to identify letters on a chart while wearing different corrective lenses. Other routine evaluations include a phoropter (also called a refractor) and a retinoscope (a tiny light) to measure how your retinas refract light. Each of these tests is quick and completely noninvasive, so patients can feel entirely at ease. After your tests are finished, we can discuss your most effective treatment options.

Myopia causes individuals to struggle with identifying far-off items, which can impact daily activities like driving or viewing presentations. Here are the primary symptoms that might indicate the presence of myopia:

• Difficulty seeing distant objects clearly, while close-up vision remains sharp
• Needing to squint to see things at a distance
• Headaches caused by eye strain
• Eyestrain or discomfort when trying to focus on far-away objects
• Blurry vision when looking at distant objects

Studies have told us that myopia can be either inherited or caused by environmental factors. The abnormal shape of either the cornea or the eyeball causes unclear vision, which happens with nearsightedness. If the eyeball is a little elongated front to back, or if the cornea is too curved (astigmatism), the light entering the eye can't be adequately aimed onto the retina. Typically, myopia is first noticed in elementary school students, especially in children who may be genetically predisposed. However, older people may also develop nearsightedness due to environmental factors or additional health issues. Some standard practices connected to nearsightedness are intensive reading and writing spanning lengthy periods (for example, in study or professional environments), not going outside, and spending extended periods on mobile devices. Myopia can also be associated with unmanaged blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.