$Unique_ID{BRK00844}
$Pretitle{Nervous System and Sense Organs}
$Title{Why Don't Doctors Do Something for People Who Are Nearsighted?}
$Subject{eyes vision myopia treatment}
$Volume{F-21}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Why Don't Doctors Do Something for People Who Are Nearsighted?


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUESTION:  I've just bought another costly pair of eyeglasses.  Why don't
doctors do something for people who are nearsighted instead of just selling
them glasses?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANSWER:  For years, it is all we've known how to do to treat the symptoms of
nearsightedness (myopia).  We haven't been able to prevent or cure the problem
itself.
     It usually begins with puberty and stabilizes in late adolescence.  As
the eye grows from infancy through late adolescence, the focal length of the
eyeball and the shape of the lens may stay precisely balanced to maintain good
vision.  Fifteen to 20 percent of high school students become nearsighted by
late adolescence because the lens and eyeball become unsynchronized in their
growth.
     Currently, there is considerable debate as to whether environmental or
genetic factors cause myopia.  If the cause were determined, a cure or
prevention could possibly be found.  Back in 1813, it was noted that educated
people who were applying for positions as officers training in the British
army had a much higher incidence of nearsightedness than the farmers and
fishermen who were serving as enlisted men.  This seemed to indicate that
people who had spent a good deal of their early years focusing on close
objects were prone to nearsightedness.
     It is tempting to theorize that close work leads to myopia, and several
studies have been conducted to try to determine if this is true.  However, in
one of the best studies of this theory, the two scientists who conducted it
cannot agree on the significance of its results.  This means that the subject
needs more study before we can understand the reasons for myopia.  Until that
is accomplished, nothing can be done to prevent it.  For now, your only
options are to correct your myopia with glasses, contact lenses or a recently
developed operation called radial keratotomy, which flattens the cornea, and
can correct near sightedness, in some cases.
ÿ
----------------

The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
