Simultaneous myopia and farsightedness: is it possible?

The main signs of such pathologies

Signs of farsightedness and myopia have some common features.
Many people do not know what myopia and farsightedness are and believe that vision is equally poor in all such diseases. However, this is not quite true. Yes, with all these pathologies a person has poor vision. However, the difference is that with myopia, there is poor near vision, but distant objects are clearly visible. With myopia, everything happens exactly the opposite. A person begins to distinguish the outlines of objects not sharply, but vaguely. Sometimes he sees some objects as unclear spots (this happens with very pronounced degrees of myopia or farsightedness).

If a person’s vision deteriorates, myopia and farsightedness are the main causes of such a defect. Both nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness are distinguished by the following symptoms:

• fatigue during prolonged visual work;
• pain in the head;
• pain in the eyes;
• disturbances of accommodation.

Sometimes a person can have nearsightedness and farsightedness together: one eye has poor distance vision, while the other has poor near vision. This only adds discomfort to visual work and negatively affects the quality of life.

Deterioration of vision is often accompanied by headaches

These vision pathologies do not allow a person to lead a normal life. This especially applies to patients with severe myopia. Good news for vision sufferers: they can correct their vision with laser surgery.

In general, the answer to the question of why I see poorly can only be from an ophthalmologist. We recommend that you contact him immediately if you have symptoms of vision impairment. The doctor will also distinguish between nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Symptoms and complications of presbyopia

Presbyopia, or senile farsightedness, develops in almost all people over 45 years of age. Some people experience this condition earlier, which depends both on the person’s lifestyle and genetic predisposition. The main cause of presbyopia is a change in the structure of the retinal tissue. It loses its elasticity and recovers much more slowly. The ability to accommodate is greatly reduced, that is, the eye muscles also weaken. We can say that this condition reflects the general aging of the body.

Presbyopsia occurs in all people: healthy people, those with farsightedness and myopia. Patients with farsightedness suffer the most. Those patients who had a slight degree of myopia (up to 3-4 diopters) even feel an improvement in visual acuity when viewing objects close up, since their “minus” is compensated by the “plus” that appears. Those who had a higher degree of myopia have it the worst. They see equally poorly both near and far, and to correct their visual acuity they now need two pairs of glasses: one for near objects, the other for those at long distances. Today there are special non-contact means of such optical correction - bifocal glasses.

You can notice the beginning changes in the lens tissue by the following symptoms:

• the contrast of the picture decreases, it seems to blur in front of a person;
• the eyes begin to tire unusually quickly when reading and other activities that require concentration;
• To view objects more clearly, a person needs brighter lighting;
• It becomes very difficult to examine a small object in detail at close range.

Such changes are irreversible. Moreover, in the absence of constant vision correction (wearing glasses), the eyes will strain more, and then the disease will progress.

Can you be nearsighted and farsighted at the same time?

To assess the quality of visual acuity, doctors use a specialized device - a refractometer. It measures the quality of vision for each eye individually

This is important, since some categories of patients have combined myopia in one eye and farsightedness in the other. It is also possible to experience astigmatism, which contributes to impaired perception of surrounding objects.

Before the invention of the refractometer, the ophthalmologist relied on data obtained from patients and a general examination to make a diagnosis. If the pathology is combined, diagnosis becomes difficult. The doctor could prescribe the wrong glasses, which worsened the patient's condition and led to headaches.

The simultaneous appearance of farsightedness and myopia is possible due to disturbances in the process of embryogenesis. Eyeballs are formed with an irregular shape, elongated in different directions.

For each eye separately, the doctor selects glasses lenses that will have different shapes. It is possible to select contact lenses with positive and negative diopters.

The quality of vision with this pathology can be different:

• a slight deviation to positive and negative diopters, which does not require correction, since the visual function compensates for this pathology;
• a significant deterioration in the function of vision in both eyes in a positive and negative direction, which completely eliminates binocular vision, that is, for each eye objects are perceived separately and do not merge together (gradually one eye ceases to see).

For pathology, adaptive glasses are used, which have two lenses for each eye. The patient and doctor change the refractive power of the line by aligning these lenses with each other. When changing the number of diopters, the doctor changes the ratio of the lenses relative to each other. Such a device can not only correct vision function, but also save on the choice of technique.

Myopia and farsightedness are conditions that require treatment to correct vision function. It is possible for only one of these diseases to occur or for them to form together. In both cases, visual acuity decreases, the person cannot normally perceive the surrounding reality. Vision correction is carried out using glasses or contact lenses, laser surgery.

Causes of farsightedness

Hypermetropia is the result of a discrepancy between the optical function of the visual apparatus and the length of the eyeball. Moreover, these factors - insufficient refractive power of the cornea and/or lens and shortening of the anterior-posterior axis of the eye - can occur either individually or in combination with each other.

Physiological farsightedness within +2+4 diopters is typical for all newborn babies - the PZ of their eyeballs is 16-17 mm long. It is noteworthy that if this indicator deviates from the norm to a lesser extent, hypermetropia is often combined with other congenital ocular pathologies (microphthalmos, lenticonus, aniridia), as well as fetal malformations (cleft lip, cleft palate).

As the child grows and matures, the size of the PZ of his eyeballs reaches 23-25 ​​mm, and physiological farsightedness is replaced by emmetropia - healthy 100% vision, which is usually established by the age of 12. However, already at the age of seven, the length of the eyes should approach the norm. If this does not happen, you should seek professional advice from an ophthalmologist. Since children go to school at the age of 7, before the start of the first school year it would be useful to check the child’s vision, especially if one of the parents suffers from congenital hyperopia.

At the age of 15-16 years, the human visual apparatus completes its growth, and by this time approximately 50% of young people have some degree of farsightedness, and among the remaining 50% of boys and girls, half are myopic, half are healthy.

What is the reason for such widespread hypermetropia? Scientists still cannot accurately answer this question - the eyeballs suddenly begin to lag in growth, and it is difficult to explain this pathology with anything other than a genetic predisposition. Separate mention should be made of congenital defects or complete absence of the cornea or lens - these developmental defects are extremely rare and almost always lead to blindness.

However, in most cases, provided the patient is young and has a low degree of farsightedness, it can be compensated using the accommodation mechanism. Therefore, the problem of hypermetropia becomes most acute in adulthood, after 40 years, when the eyes gradually wear out. And why and how this happens - look at the video.

Classification of farsightedness

First of all, it is customary to distinguish between natural physiological farsightedness in children, as well as congenital and acquired, which includes “senile vision,” that is, presbyopia.

Depending on the causes and mechanism of development, doctors distinguish the following types of hypermetropia:

• Axial

  or axial – associated with shortening of the eyeball’s PZO;

• Refractive

  – caused by a weakening of the refractive power of the cornea and/or lens.

Based on the possibilities of compensating for the disorder, there are two main types of farsightedness:

• Hidden

  – is eliminated with the help of accommodation of tension, but with age it almost always becomes overt;

• Explicit

  – cannot be eliminated by the independent efforts of the visual apparatus; it requires wearing glasses or contact lenses.

According to the severity, hypermetropia is divided into three types:

• Weak

  – up to +2 diopters;

• Average

  – up to +5 diopters;

  Read also:  What type of vision requires glasses?
• High

  – more than +5 diopters.

How to choose glasses for a combined problem

Selecting glasses is not an easy process and different lenses are used depending on vision deviations. For myopia, concave lenses are used, and for hyperopia, convex lenses are used.

For presbyopia, positive single vision lenses can be used to move the focus directly to the retina. But such lenses are only used for near objects because they cannot provide brightness for distant images.

For simultaneous correction, bifocal lenses are used; they allow you to see well at distance and near, but do not provide clear vision at medium distances.

There are also progressive lenses, they are much better than bifocals, since you can see clearly at any distance and there is no sharp transition from far to near.

Expert opinion

Nosova Yulia Vladimirovna

Ophthalmologist of the highest category. Candidate of Medical Sciences.

For astigmatism, cylindrical lenses are used. Sometimes for astigmatism, toric glass is used, which helps correct the refraction of light rays and is a combination of a cylindrical and spherical lens. For those who often work at a computer, it is recommended to use glasses with anti-glare coating to reduce eye strain.

Also, for various eye disorders, iseikonic two-lens glasses are used; they even out the size of the image in the fundus. This system enlarges the image for one eye and reduces it for the other. But glasses with such lenses are made only to order and are not suitable for everyone.

Features of laser correction

Laser correction is the most effective way to improve vision and get rid of existing pathologies. Laser surgery is effective for myopia up to -12 diopters, hypermetropia up to +6 diopters and mixed astigmatism from -4 to +4 diopters.

This type of correction is also used if a person cannot wear lenses or experiences discomfort while using them. However, like any operation, laser correction has contraindications:

• cataract;
• progressive visual impairment;
• glaucoma;
• diabetes;
• thinned cornea;
• pregnancy and lactation period;
• infection in the eyes;
• presence of a pacemaker.

Laser correction is not performed on people under 21 years of age, as vision can still change before this age. It is usually prescribed to patients aged 21 to 55 years after a complete diagnosis.

Diagnostics

In case of visual impairment - blurred vision, blurred vision, diplopia - it is recommended to urgently visit an ophthalmologist or ophthalmologist.

Failure to visit a doctor on time can result in loss of vision.

The doctor will diagnose and, if necessary, prescribe measures to correct eye refraction. Usually the doctor prescribes the use of glasses, soft lenses or other treatment.

First of all, the professional checks visual acuity using the table. In the absence of visual impairment, the patient, being at a 5-meter distance, will name the letters and symbols of all ten rows. Each line has its own value by which visual functions are measured. The closer the patient gets to the table and the fewer symbols he names, the worse his ability to see. For a thorough diagnosis, the doctor examines each eye separately.

If a person who goes to an ophthalmologist clearly sees the tenth line, this indicates excellent vision. When visualizing smaller letters - rows 11, 12 - the condition indicates farsightedness. With myopia, the patient does not see the tenth line, so to accurately determine vision, the doctor asks to name the letters of the row that can be read. Based on this, a diagnosis is made.

If you have difficulty with the bottom lines, this indicates myopia. If there are problems with visualizing the upper lines, a diagnosis of hypermetropia is made. First, Sivtsev’s table is “read” without corrective agents, after which the doctor diagnoses vision using plus or minus lenses.

After the initial diagnosis, the ophthalmologist proceeds to examine the fundus of the eye, determining the condition of the eyeball - physiological changes, pathological features - diagnosing refraction and keratometry. Then computer diagnostics is carried out using a specialized optical device - a refractometer, which allows you to detect minimal visual defects. Thanks to refractometry, the causes and severity of the pathological process in the eyes are determined.

Treatment and correction are prescribed after a thorough diagnosis. The earlier diagnostic measures are taken, the more effective the therapy will be.

Disease prevention

To avoid rapid progression of the disease, you should follow simple rules:

1. Visual hygiene. It is necessary to give your eyes mandatory rest during the day: alternate periods of stress with relaxation. Make sure that the lighting on your desk is fairly intense. Try not to read lying down or half-sitting. Stay physically fit: moderate exercise (running, swimming, yoga) will help normalize blood circulation in the eyes and support the eye muscles.
2. Proper nutrition. Complete, varied and, most importantly, moderate. This will help sharpen your vision. Be sure to take vitamins (group B, vitamin A), as well as microelements such as magnesium, zinc, etc.
3. Eye training exercises. Eye exercises need to be done regularly, preferably in the morning, when the eyes are not yet overstrained, and in bright light. Take short breaks between exercises.

Photo 2. A variant of gymnastics to preserve vision. By moving your eyes you need to repeat the figures depicted in each rectangle.

Example: Stand near a window and alternately look from distant objects to near ones and vice versa. As a variation of the exercise, use your finger as an additional object. Place it at a distance of about 30 cm from your eyes and move your gaze from the window to your finger and back. The whites of the eyes do not rotate.

Why are myopia and farsightedness at the same time?

The simultaneous presence of myopia and farsightedness is possible not only in different eyes, but also in 1 organ of vision. Hypermetropia occurs when the eyeball is shortened, the lens is abnormally shaped, or there are problems with the cornea.

With pathology, the image is focused outside the retina, which causes it to blur. Myopia comes in two varieties, namely hereditary and acquired. School-age patients are susceptible to developing myopia. In this pathological condition, increased dimensional characteristics of the optic apple and a convex cornea are observed.

Are 2 pathologies possible at the same time?

Conditions in which plus and minus vision are present simultaneously are quite common.

In the presence of myopia and hyperopia in combination, the following pathologies are diagnosed:

• Astigmatism. With the disease, there is a shift in the refraction of light rays and focusing at several points simultaneously. In pathology, both 1 eye and 2 are affected at the same time. Astigmatism occurs due to irregularities in the shape of the lens or curvature of the cornea.
• Age-related changes in the visual apparatus. Patients with myopia are susceptible to presbyopia. Pathology develops at 40 or 45 years of age. The development of pathology is provoked by deterioration in the elasticity of the lens or weakening of the ciliary muscles. If a patient has mild myopia, he receives compensation in clarity of vision due to the development of age-related destructive processes.

Regardless of the reasons that provoked the development of simultaneous pathologies, an individual selection of an optical means for restoring picture clarity is necessary.

One eye is nearsighted, the other is farsighted

Anisometropia is the presence of both myopia and farsightedness in different visual organs. To correct the pathological condition, an optical device with different lenses is prescribed to correct the quality of the resulting image. Adaptation to a new optical product takes place during the first week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Kutpaqvvw

In case of a large difference in dioptres, iseikonic optics are prescribed. This means of correcting vision enlarges the image on one eye and reduces it on the other, thereby achieving an optimal result. The device is selected individually, taking into account the needs of the patient.

Non-surgical eye treatment in 1 month.

If drastic changes are necessary, surgical intervention is possible to correct the problematic situation:

• lens replacement;
• change in the shape of the cornea;
• operations to change the lens to the required shape.

Diagnostics

Complete loss of vision is possible if you do not visit a specialist and carry out diagnostics in a timely manner. Adults need a routine check-up once a year; for children, the minimum number of doctor visits is about 2 times a year. Diagnostic measures to determine myopia or hypermetropia are:

• refraction test;
• examination and collection of anamnesis of the development of the pathological condition;
• the length of the eyeball is measured;
• The level of pressure inside the organs of vision is controlled.

Based on the information received, a diagnosis is made and optimal therapy is selected.

What to do if pathologies are detected

With regular visits to the ophthalmologist, pathological changes are diagnosed in time, which greatly facilitates the treatment of the disease. There are several treatment options for patients with both myopia and hypermetropia:

• Optical products. A device is needed to eliminate the difference in picture clarity. Adaptation to optics takes about a week.
• Bifocal lenses. Prescribed in cases where one eye sees near and the other sees far. The disadvantage of this product is its high cost. Among the advantages are rapid adaptation and corrective effect.
• Surgical manipulation. Surgery is necessary in the presence of moderate or severe pathologies. Before the intervention, a course of diagnostics of the general condition of the body is prescribed.
• Iseikonic optics. It is prescribed if one organ is farsighted and the other is myopic. The surface of the optics is artificially leveled, which allows you to get a clear picture with both eyes.

Laser surgery

In modern ophthalmological practice, laser correction to eliminate myopia and hyperopia is considered a very effective treatment method. This procedure allows you to forget about using contact lenses and glasses; it is completely painless and quite quick. During the operation, the surgeon uses a laser with a beam of maximum precision, which changes the shape of the cornea without damaging it at all. Thanks to the use of specialized computer installations, the operation eliminates the possibility of error and corrects even severe refractive pathologies.

Before the patient is admitted to surgery, he undergoes a full examination of the visual system and undergoes general tests. The process, including preparation, takes no more than half an hour, and after the operation is completed, the person can go home the same day.

Useful video

The simultaneous presence of myopia and hypermetropia is a common pathological condition. All categories of patients are susceptible to the development of farsightedness and myopia, regardless of age and standard of living. Timely consultation with a specialist will help prevent complete loss of vision.

Characteristic symptoms

A vision defect, the main symptom of which is blurred perception of distant objects, is called myopia.
The difference between both pathologies is obvious. The patient can determine by the symptoms which ophthalmological disease is progressing. The characteristic signs of myopia are as follows:

• unclearness and blurriness of the contours of objects located at a far distance;
• objects located nearby are visualized clearly, without distortion;
• gradual deterioration of visual function.

If a patient simultaneously develops myopia and astigmatism, in addition to distortion and blurriness of distant objects, double vision, severe headache, and dizziness are a concern. You can tell that a person is developing farsightedness by the following symptoms:

• problems with visualizing nearby objects, letters, and low-contrast small font;
• rapid eye fatigue;
• frequent headaches;
• difficulties when viewing nearby objects.

Operating principle of the optical system of the eye

The optical system of the eye is complex and consists of many interconnected elements designed to refract and focus light beams in order to obtain a clear image.

Photo 1. Schematic representation of the structure of the eye: arrows indicate its main parts; the method of projecting an image onto the retina is shown.

The system in question consists of the cornea, anterior chamber, lens, vitreous body, retina and other various elements that protect the eyeball from mechanical damage and negative environmental influences.

Rays of light hitting the cornea of ​​the eye pass through it, and then the anterior and posterior chambers filled with liquid. After which they reach the lens and vitreous body, where they are perceived by the photoreceptors of the retina. There is a yellow spot on it (directly opposite the lens), where the image is focused.

Due to the ability of the lens to change its curvature, the picture is clear. In this case, the image is recorded on the retina. Deviation from this element of the eye indicates visual impairment.

The optical system of the eye creates a single visual perception of the image by both eyes (binocularity), which is important, since the characteristics of one eye are often different from the other. Reference

Stereoscopicity is a feature of human eyes that is available when both eyes are looking at an object - if you close one, it becomes impossible to determine the degree of relief of the object

Reference. Stereoscopicity is a feature of human eyes that is available when both eyes are looking at an object - if you close one, it becomes impossible to determine the degree of relief of the object.

Thus, the neural elements of the retina of the right eye are not the same as those of the left. As a result, after receiving an image on the retina of each eye, the image doubles, and binocularity approximately determines the distance at which the object in question is located, as well as its relief. The last ability of the human eye is called stereoscopicity.

Differences in causes

Farsightedness (hypermetropia) is an eye disease that makes it difficult for a person to see objects that are nearby. However, with a high level of farsightedness, a person sees objects that are far away blurry.

With farsightedness, light rays passing through the cornea are refracted not at the retina, but at the area behind it.

It is also worth mentioning that all newborn children have a very small eyeball, which is typical for hypermetropia, but as they grow, it also grows, and as a result, farsightedness goes away.

Doctors recommend!

Complications of farsightedness

The course of hypermetropia can be complicated by the appearance of concomitant diseases, especially with insufficient treatment or in the absence of it. The most common of them: strabismus, amblyopia, blepharitis, various types of styes, glaucoma, eye strain, spasm of the eye muscle, myopia.

Strabismus is more common in children due to overstrain of the eye muscles with the gaze focusing on the bridge of the nose. This allows you to obtain a clearer image of objects against the background of congenital farsightedness. To prevent strabismus, children are recommended to wear glasses.

Amblyopia accompanies moderate and high forms of the disease and is expressed in the participation of only one visual organ in the visual process - the eye. The disease is more common in children, develops against the background of hypermetropia and is caused by inhibition of information exchange between the visual apparatus and the cerebral cortex due to the uneven functioning of its components. In other words, information from one eye is not perceived by the brain due to a significant difference with the information coming from the other eye. As a result, the functional ability of one organ of vision is blocked, while the other is working fully.

Infectious diseases such as blepharitis, stye, conjunctivitis develop as a result of forced frequent touching of the eyes due to discomfort and pain. The diseases are relatively harmless with early diagnosis and timely treatment measures. However, lack of treatment or lack of it can lead to serious complications such as blood poisoning, sepsis, and death.

Severe forms of hypermetropia can provoke the accumulation of intraocular fluid, resulting in glaucoma, in which the optic nerve atrophies and the brain stops receiving visual signals from the organ of vision. As a result, complete loss of vision may occur. Of particular danger is an acute attack of glaucoma, accompanied by severe pain in the eye area, severe headache, nausea, and rapid loss of vision. This condition requires urgent hospitalization of the patient.

Frequent intense focusing of the gaze on various objects causes overstrain of the eye muscles and, as a result, frequent headaches, eye pain, and fatigue.

With the development of hypermetropia, there is a high risk of spasm of the eye muscle, which is expressed in its prolonged contraction with a temporary loss of the ability to relax. Special relaxation exercises and the use of eye drops that help relax and fix the eye muscles for a certain period of time will help normalize the condition, after which the spasms may resume. If spasms occur frequently, you should contact an ophthalmologist for examination and medical treatment.

Often the development of farsightedness is complicated by concomitant and progressive myopia against the background of hypermetropia. With this complication, the ability of the human visual apparatus to perceive objects not only at a long distance, but also nearby ones, significantly deteriorates. This condition requires complex surgical treatment.

Myopia

Myopia or myopia is a pathology in which objects located close to a person are clearly visible, and objects located far from him are reproduced blurred. In simple words, a person sees well up close and poorly at a distance.

A feature of the pathology is the gradual progression of decreased visual acuity if its cause is not eliminated. Over time, various complications may develop, which will inevitably lead to blindness.

There are several classifications of myopia. The main ones:

1. Regarding the affected structure:
   Axial or axial. The reason is the extension of the eyeball in the anteroposterior direction, while the refractive function remains unimpaired.
2. Lenticular. The reason is an increase in the refractive function of the lens, which develops against the background of certain diseases (diabetes mellitus) or taking medications (phenothiazine, chlorthalidone, hydralazine).
3. Corneal damage. The reason is excessive curvature of the cornea and an increase in its refractive power.
4. Taking into account the development mechanism:
   True. It develops as a result of organic damage to the eyeball, lens or cornea and can be either acquired or congenital.
5. False or spasm of accommodation. It develops as a result of prolonged strain on the accommodation apparatus. This is a temporary phenomenon that disappears after eliminating the provoking factor. There is no violation of the integrity of the structures of the eyeball and the refractive system. At the same time, there is a risk of developing true myopia due to the long-term and often repeated influence of factors unfavorable for vision.
6. Based on the reason:
   Hereditary. Occurs in a child if one or both of his parents have myopia. This also applies to asymptomatic carriers of the gene. The probability of developing pathology in a child is 25–100%.
7. Acquired. It occurs throughout a person’s life and develops as a result of the influence of negative environmental factors.

There is another type of myopia - night myopia. It is observed in the dark or when the lights are off in the room and completely disappears in the light.

Causes

The causes of myopia are:

• Working at a computer or reading in dim lighting.
• Unfavorable working conditions.
• Insufficient intake of vitamins into the body (riboflavin or B2).
• Weakness of accommodation is a pathology that is expressed in the insufficient ability of the cornea or lens to refract light. As a result, the eyeball is elongated in the anteroposterior direction and causes myopia.
• Injuries involving damage to the lens, cornea or eyeball.

Features of the disease in children

Myopia in children is divided according to the mechanism of action into congenital and physiological.

Symptoms

At the initial stage of the disease, the main complaint is unclear reproduction of objects located in the distance. As the pathology develops, other signs appear. These include:

• Headache.
• Eye pain and burning.
• Tearing.
• Expansion of the palpebral fissure.

With prolonged progression of myopia, various complications develop. This usually concerns severe pathology.

Complications

Main complications:

1. 1. Amblyopia - a decrease in visual acuity, in which one eye is completely or partially not involved in the visual process.
2. 2. Strabismus - impaired coordination of the eyes and focusing on one object. With myopia, divergent strabismus is observed, characterized by a displacement of one eye towards the temple.
3. 3. Cataract - clouding of the lens, the consequence of which is partial or complete loss of vision.
4. 4. Retinal detachment from the inner wall of the eyeball. It leads to the death of light-sensitive cells and a decrease in vision until it is completely lost.

Cataract

Differences between the two pathologies

The difference between myopia and hyperopia is that with farsightedness, a person cannot clearly see near objects, work with small objects or read, but he can clearly see objects that are in the distance. But with myopia, on the contrary, distant objects are seen blurry, but near ones are very clear.

Also, myopia and farsightedness differ in that myopia can be inherited and manifests itself during the formation of the body, i.e. in childhood, and hyperopia, in turn, can begin to develop in adulthood, usually after 40-45 years. Unfortunately, this is an inevitable process for everyone.

Causes

Myopia is a common phenomenon; according to statistics, there are more than 1 billion people on the planet who suffer from this vision disorder. The reasons for the development of myopia may be the following:

1. Strong refraction of light rays, while the size of the eyeball corresponds to the standard, but due to strong refraction, the light rays converge into focus not on the retina, but in front of it.
2. Irregular shape of the eyeball - the length of the anteroposterior axis of the eye exceeds the norm, because of this light rays do not reach the retina. As a result, the back wall of the eye also stretches and changes in the fundus occur, for example, retinal detachment, myopic cone, etc.
3. Heredity. Experts believe that the predisposition to myopia is transmitted at the genetic level, just as hair color, nose shape, face shape are transmitted and the size of the eye or the refractive properties of the lens. If only one person has myopia, then the likelihood of this eye disorder occurring in the child is reduced by approximately 30%. Those at risk include those who have both parents with myopia.
4. Weakening of the scleral tissue can lead to an increase in the size of the eyeball, which leads to myopia.

The reasons leading to the development of farsightedness include:

1. Eyeball with reduced length.
2. Weak refractive power of light rays, due to which focusing does not occur on the retina itself.

Symptoms

With myopia, symptoms may not appear for a long time, so it is impossible to immediately identify the disease. Quite often, myopia begins to develop while studying at school, since the load on the eyes is great and there is constant tension.

The first symptoms are a blurry image of distant objects; it becomes unclearly visible from the board, then you have to come closer or sit closer and squint. The eyes constantly strain when a person tries to see something in the distance, visual fatigue and fatigue are felt - all this sooner or later leads to myopia. In addition, eye fatigue is almost always accompanied by headache, dryness and unpleasant sensations in the eyes.

The appearance of the eye is also one of the symptoms. If it seems like something has gotten into your eyes or there are flies flying around, then this is also a sure sign of myopia.

Ophthalmologists distinguish three types of hypermetropia:

1. Weak degree. At this stage there may not be any obvious symptoms. A person does not notice any special changes in visual acuity, but may complain of headache, dizziness, and fatigue.
2. Average. With average farsightedness, the first signs already appear. For example, a person begins to move objects away from his eyes in order to see better; more lighting is required for work. Moderate farsightedness is characterized by pain in the bridge of the nose and brow ridges, increased fatigue and unpleasant sensations in the eyes.
3. High degree. With a high degree of hyperopia, visual acuity is greatly reduced, and a person begins to see poorly not only near, but also in the distance. This degree of farsightedness is accompanied by severe headaches, fatigue, and an unpleasant sensation appears in the eyes, as if there is sand or an eyelash in them.

Diagnostic methods

The diagnosis of myopia is practically no different from the diagnosis of hypermetropia; the following examinations are required:

1. Check your visual acuity without glasses in order to select the correct lenses in the future;
2. Determine the power of refraction of rays;
3. Measure the length of the eyes, by which the doctor will determine the degree of myopia;
4. Check intraocular pressure;
5. It is also necessary to conduct an examination of the fundus of the eye so that the doctor can assess the condition of the retina and blood vessels.

Main causes

Myopia

In medicine, this disease is called myopia. The pathology is characterized by a decrease in visual acuity, while objects located at a distance are poorly visualized by the patient, since due to improper refraction of rays in the optical system, refractive error occurs. As myopia progresses, a person sees worse and worse. The main causes of myopia are:

• hereditary predisposition;
• prolonged overload of the visual system;
• decreased protective functions of the body;
• insufficient lighting in the workplace.

Myopia is often diagnosed in school-age children. This disease can develop from prolonged exposure to a computer, tablet, or TV. Reading books in a dimly lit place, eye fatigue, mental overload, and disruption of sleep and wakefulness have a negative impact on the visual system.

Farsightedness

Visual deviation, in which a person sees objects that are nearby less clearly, is caused by a shortened eyeball. Hypermetropia, or in simple words farsightedness, differs from myopia in that a person sees objects located nearby worse. If the disease progresses, it may happen that the patient becomes farsighted in one eye and nearsighted in the other. The main cause of hypermetropia is a short eyeball. This condition is normal in a child under 1 year of age. But as you grow older, the organ acquires normal size, and vision improves. Factors contributing to the development of farsightedness are:

• Age-related changes. Physiological processes in the body lead to impaired visual function. Presbyopia often develops in old age, so men and women need to wear glasses.
• Congenital anomalies of the eye structure.
• Tumors of various etiologies localized in the brain.
• Diabetes.

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The simultaneous presence of myopia and hypermetropia is a common pathological condition. All categories of patients are susceptible to the development of farsightedness and myopia, regardless of age and standard of living. Timely consultation with a specialist will help prevent complete loss of vision.

Myopia in one eye, farsightedness in the other - what to do?

This phenomenon is called anisometropia. Its types are the presence of emmetropia in one eye and farsightedness or myopia in the other, as well as a strong difference in refraction in one disorder. Anisometropia causes great discomfort to a person, since it is very difficult for the visual organs to adapt to the difference in perception at the same time. To correct it, glasses with lenses that correct myopia in one eye and farsightedness in the other are prescribed. Another optics option is to use a regular lens for the far-sighted eye, and with the appropriate diopters for the near-sighted eye. This method is suitable if minor degrees of violations are diagnosed.

An alternative method of correction for various eye disorders is two-lens iseikonic glasses. They are designed to equalize the size of the image on the fundus. The effect is achieved due to the fact that the two-lens system enlarges the image for one eye and reduces it for the other, resulting in them being the same size. Such optics are made only to order and are not suitable for everyone. More often, glasses with lenses of different strengths are prescribed, adaptation to which occurs within 7-10 days.

The presence of farsightedness and myopia at the same time is less common than just myopia or hypermetropia in both eyes, and for vision correction in such situations, means are selected strictly individually. Surgery is often prescribed to change the shape of the cornea or lens, as well as to replace it in order to radically solve the problem.

Astigmatism

Another situation where myopia and farsightedness can exist simultaneously. In the presence of astigmatism, the eye has a different refractive power in some meridians, and light rays are focused not at one point, as with emmetropia, but at several. Astigmatism resulting from a violation of the shape of the lens is called lenticular, and due to the curved surface of the cornea - corneal.

In this case, there is myopia in one eye and farsightedness in the other - this type of pathology is called mixed astigmatism. This is a complex disorder that requires competent correction. Only one eye may be affected, while the other may have normal vision or have difficulty seeing near or far. The disease can occur in different eyes at the same time.

What are myopia and hypermetropia?

The human eye is designed in such a way that, under normal conditions, it provides clear quality vision at long distances, and this phenomenon is called emmetropia. The perception of closely located objects occurs due to the accommodation of the lens - its ability to change curvature when looking at objects at different distances. With good accommodation, small degrees of farsightedness are also not felt.

Hypermetropia occurs due to a shortened size of the eyeball, irregular surface of the cornea, or irregular shape of the lens. At the same time, 90% of newborn children have farsightedness of up to 4 diopters, and this phenomenon gradually disappears by adolescence. With hypermetropia, the image is focused behind the retina, and a person sees blurred near, but clearly and clearly at long distances.

Myopia is usually hereditary or acquired, and often begins to develop in children when they begin school, as the eyes experience great visual stress. At the same time, a person sees well near, but it is difficult for him to see distant objects without the help of glasses or lenses. With myopia, on the contrary, the eyeball has an increased size, and the cornea has a more convex shape, so light rays are refracted more strongly and collected in the area in front of the retina.

Can you be nearsighted and farsighted at the same time? Both of these disorders in one eye occur in some diseases. How can this be, since the physiological reasons that cause these two visual anomalies are radically opposite? However, this is not such a rare occurrence. Let's talk about it in more detail.