The objects that are at a distance or nearby can be focused by the human eye due to their abilities.

To watch
nearby objects and focus on them, the eye’s lens has a short focal length. If the curvature of the lens is large, it
will be able to focus on closer objects, whereas if the curvature is small, it will be able to focus on objects
further far away. Most of the time, the effects of the defect start showing up at the extreme ends of the visual
spectrum.

Myopia or Nearsightedness occurs when the eye loses its ability to focus on far-off objects as the lenses do not
possess a long focal length. Objects that are near are clearly visible to patients of this defect. As we know,
from the reference for countless ray diagrams describing the functioning of the eye, when the light suffers
higher refraction than usual, the eye would not be able to form an image for faraway objects.

Myopia Causes
Hereditary is one of the natural factors for a person to have the defect of myopia. If any of the parents have the
defect, then there are chances that the child will inherit the same defect upon reaching adulthood.

Predominantly young folks suffer from myopia which occurs due to elongation of the eyeball or bulging of the
cornea. When the normal curvature of the cornea bulges, the light rays are refracted so that the image is formed
in front of the cornea. The rods and cones of our eyes have areas where the image has the best clarity when the
image is focused. Thus, as the image of the distant objects is not formed at the right spot, it is detected as
blurry.

Another worst cause of this type of eye defect is uncontrolled diabetes. Some unattended cataract growths may
also lead to myopia.

Symptoms of Myopia
 One of the common symptoms of Short-sightedness or Myopia is squinting and frowning.
 Short-sighted people may suffer from tired eyes and severe headaches by overstraining their eyes.
 One of the simplest symptoms is facing difficulty in reading the alphabets or letters from a specific
distance.

Myopia Formula
The formula used to calculate the power of the correcting lens for myopia is by using the approximate formula
of the focal length of combined lenses given as:

1𝑓=1𝑓1+1𝑓2

Where,
 f is the effective focal length
 f1 is the focal length of the lens required
 f2 is the focal length of the human eye

Nearsightedness – How to Correct It?

A diverging lens can be used to fix the problem of nearsightedness. As mentioned above, the image was blurry
as the light rays were not diverging at the right point, creating a focused image. The rays get focused before it
reaches the retina. The convergence of the light rays takes place due to the cornea producing an image on the
retina
Unlike when viewing objects that are near, in the diagrammatic depiction above, the light rays are coming
from far-off points, which make them roughly parallel to each other by the time they reach the cornea.

Eye related or ophthalmological problems are most common these days due to the strain on the eye.
Hypermetropia is one of the common eye problems that affect people of all age groups. Many infants and
small children tend to have far-sightedness, but it gets normal once the babies are three years old.

Let us learn more about hypermetropia, its causes and the ways it can be corrected.

Is classified into:

Simple hyperopia: It is caused due to biological diversity.

Pathological hyperopia: It is caused by abnormal development of the eye, disease, or trauma.

Functional hyperopia: It is caused by paralysis that interferes with the eye’s ability to accommodate.
Based on severity hypermetropia is classified into:

Low Hypermetropia: Refractive error is less than or equal to +2.00 diopters (D).

Moderate Hypermetropia: Refractive error is more than +2.00 D up to +5.00 D.

High Hypermetropia: Refractive error is beyond +5.00 D.

Based on the accommodative status hypermetropia is classified into:

Total hypermetropia

Latent hyperopia

Manifest hyperopia

Comparison of image focus by a normal eye and eye with hypermetropia condition is as shown in the figure
below.

Treatment

Usage of proper corrective lenses and spectacles as prescribed by the ophthalmologist can help to overcome
Low Hypermetropia.

High degree hypermetropia is corrected using intraocular lens implantation.

Surgery like LASIK (Laser-Assisted In situ Keratomileusis) Laser eye surgery, PRK (Photo-Refractive
Keratectomy) and LASEK (Laser Subepithelial Keratomileusis).

A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, which is typically clear. For people who have cataracts, seeing
through cloudy lenses is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Clouded vision caused by
cataracts can make it more difficult to read, drive a car at night or see the expression on a friend’s face.
Most cataracts develop slowly and don’t disturb eyesight early on. But with time, cataracts will eventually
affect vision.

At first, stronger lighting and eyeglasses can help deal with cataracts. But if impaired vision affects usual
activities, cataract surgery might be needed. Fortunately, cataract surgery is generally a safe, effective
procedure.

Symptoms

Symptoms of cataracts include:

Clouded, blurred or dim vision.

Trouble seeing at night.

Sensitivity to light and glare.

Need for brighter light for reading and other activities.

Seeing “halos” around lights.

Frequent changes in eyeglass or contact lens prescription.

Fading or yellowing of colors.

Double vision in one eye.

At first, the cloudiness in your vision caused by a cataract may affect only a small part of the eye’s lens. You
may not notice any vision loss. As the cataract grows larger, it clouds more of your lens. More clouding
changes the light passing through the lens. This may lead to symptoms you notice more.

Causes

Most cataracts develop when aging or injury changes the tissue that makes up the eye’s lens. Proteins and
fibers in the lens begin to break down. This causes vision to become hazy or cloudy.
Some disorders passed down from parents that cause other health problems can increase your risk of cataracts.
Cataracts also can be caused by other eye conditions, past eye surgery or medical conditions such as diabetes.
Long-term use of steroid medicines also may cause cataracts to develop.

Regular eye exams. Eye exams can help detect cataracts and other eye problems at their earliest stages. Ask
your health care team how often you should have an eye examination.

Do not smoke. Ask a member of your health care team how to stop smoking. Medicines, counseling and other
strategies are available to help you.

Manage other health problems. Follow your treatment plan if you have diabetes or other medical conditions
that can increase your risk of cataracts.

Choose a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet
ensures that you’re getting many vitamins and nutrients. Fruits and vegetables have antioxidants. Antioxidants
help maintain the health of your eyes.

Studies haven’t proved that antioxidants in pill form can prevent cataracts. But a large population study
recently showed that a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals reduced the risk of developing cataracts.
Fruits and vegetables have many proven health benefits. Eating them is a safe way to get enough minerals and
vitamins in your diet.

Wear sunglasses. Ultraviolet light from the sun may cause cataracts. Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet B
rays when you’re outdoors.

Reduce alcohol use. Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of cataracts.