What is Myopia?

Myopia is a refractive error and causes the patient to not being able to see the distance. While myopia patients can easily see near distances, they have problems with long distances. This is because the light reflected from the objects is focused not in the visual center but in front of the retina. It is a treatable disease.

• Contents
• What is Myopia?
• What are signs of myopia?
• What are reasons for myopia?
• How does myopia occur?
• What are the types of myopia?
• Can myopia be corrected?
• Why does myopia progress?
• Myopia test
• Myopia grades
• Myopia treatment
• Can Myopia be treated with laser-surgery?
• Myopia drop treatment – Atropine
• Myopia surgery
• Myopia surgery prices

What are signs of myopia?

The most obvious symptom is the inability to see the distance. Other symptoms include strained eyesight, squinting, eye fatigue and headache.

What are reasons for myopia?

Myopia is usually inherited and becomes evident in the age of 8-12 years. It has been observed that especially high myopia is very often genetic. Looking on glossy screens for a long time while working (PC, TV, mobile phone, tablet etc.) accelerates the development of myopia.

How does myopia occur?

In myopia, light reflected by far away objects is focused in front of the retina. As a result, objects in the distance look blurry. The closer you get to the object, the clearer it becomes.

What are the types of myopia?

Simple myopia: This type is most common. In this type of myopia, where environmental and genetic factors play a major role, the progression of myopia is accelerated by work requiring close attention at close range. For example jewelry repair and watch repair.

Night myopia: While you can see well during the day, the quality deteriorates at night, because then the incoming light varies. This type of myopia is often seen in adolescents and the elderly. With this type of myopia one must be very careful especially when driving at night and wear special night vision glasses.

False Myopia: This situation arises when the muscles that help the eye to focus, cramp. As a result we are not able to see the distance well. Especially long times on the PC or mobile phone play a major role and it is often seen especially among young people.

Axial myopia: This type of myopia occurs due to an increased eye diameter.

Secondary Myopia: This type occurs due to medications for various health problems that damage the lens structure.

Can myopia be corrected?

Myopia can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, but can also be corrected with a laser or intraocular lens surgery.

Why does myopia progress?

Myopia progresses, together with the growth of an eye, till the age of 18-20. However, Myopia still progresses after the age of 20, if the patient works long hours with glossy screens (PC, TV, mobile phone, tablet, etc.) or reads a lot. The degree of myopia does not decrease in its natural course and must be treated.

Myopia test

On the internet, there are some tests that can easily test your eyesight, but to diagnose such a common and serious condition you need to be examined by a specialist in order to start treatment. If necessary, the pupils can be enlarged with eye drops, in order to better examine the optic nerve and the retina.

Myopia grades

The myopia grades can change over the years as the eye disease progresses. Discontinuing regular eye check-ups and the decision not to wear the glasses will cause the myopia grade to change. To determine changes in the grade, you should go to your ophthalmologist twice or three times a year.

– Low myopia: Here the diopter value is -3.00 or less.

– Medium myopia: Here the diopter value caries between -3.50 and -6.00. In this case, color distribution symptoms or glaucoma may occur.

– High myopia: Here the diopter value is -6.00 and higher. In this type of myopia shadowy figures and floating objects can appear in the view.

Myopia treatment

As with all refractive errors, our first treatment option is glasses. After a detailed examination, the degree of myopia is determined and glasses are prescribed. For these eyeglasses concave lenses with thick edges are used, which help to distribute the light on the eye and create a clear picture in the retina. Patients, who have problems with the use of glasses are recommended to use contact lenses with the same characteristics. However, one must be very careful when using contact lenses and pay attention to hygiene. In addition, patients may not be able to use them constantly, which is why we recommend refractive surgery, in other words, corneal laser surgery, to patients over the age of 18.

Can Myopia be treated with laser-surgery?

The world’s most widely used refractive surgery method for myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is LASER technology.

There are several types of laser surgery.

The LASIK-surgery, in which a flap is created in the cornea, superficial operations with PRK/LASEK and ReLEx SMILE laser, a 3rd generation laser refractive surgery.

Myopia drop treatment – Atropine

Another treatment for myopia is drop treatment (atropine). It has been observed that the drops in children slow down the progression of myopia. However, as some side effects have occurred, this treatment has not been used for a while. But it was later observed that a smaller dose still had the same effect in patients and the side effects also decreased accordingly, after which the treatment was resumed.

Myopia surgery

The world’s most widely used refractive surgery method for myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism is LASER technology.

There are several types of laser surgery.

During LASIK surgery, a flap is opened in the eye. In order to reach the tissue during this operation, a flap is opened in the cornea, which is closed again after the procedure. After this procedure, the patient starts to see well. Complaints such as pain, burning or stinging either do not occur at all or only for a very short time.

Another surgery option is PRK Lasek superficial surgery. During this procedure no cut is made on the cornea. However, the top cell layer of the cornea is removed and the laser is applied directly to the cornea. After the surgery, a contact lens is used for a few days to protect the corneal surface. A clear view is obtained 3-4 weeks after the procedure. After laser surgery, pain, stinging, watery eyes, and blurred vision may occur for a few days.

The newest developed laser technology is the ReLEx SMILE refractive surgery. While a large cut is required for the LASIK-surgery, the size of the cut in this method is only 2mm.

With SMILE, a small lens-shaped tissue is created in the cornea with a femtosecond laser, after which the lens is removed from the same section. After the procedure, the myopia is corrected because the cornea has gained a new shape. Since stitches are not needed, the eye heals in a few days and a clear vision is reached faster. The healing occurs is very fast and there are no complaints such as dry eyes, pain or stinging.

Surgery on the cornea and lens permanently corrects vision defects.

Myopia surgery prices

Without a physical examination of the patient it is not possible to give a price over the internet. We first recommend the examination by a specialist. Another reason why we do not quote prices on our website is that it is prohibited by law to provide information on prices for all types of operations.