Short-Sightedness (Myopia)
Short-sighted eyes have good near vision capability, but poor far vision. This is caused either by the fact that the eyeball is too “long” or that the cornea (the eye’s clear outer window) is too curved, so that light rays are focused at a point in front of the retina. The more short-sighted an eye is, the shorter the distance to an image needs to be to produce a clear vision of it.
What are the first signs?
If you are squinting when looking to identify a distant image. If you pass friends on the street without recognising them. If you observe that your child tends to bend down very close to its writing pad. These are all typical indicators for short-sightedness.
And what can you do about it?
Short-sightedness is treated using corrective concave (minus) lenses to help focus light more precisely on the retina, where a clear image will be formed regardless of the distance of focus.
The more short-sighted an eye is, the thicker the rim of the lens and the weightier the whole lens will be – a circumstance which is both unbecoming and which diminishes wearing comfort. When choosing a frame for your spectacles, be sure to opt for a design which allows for a smaller lens. The smaller the lens, the thinner it will be. The modern, high-performance lenses available today are thinner and more lightweight than they used to be.
A better focus on the world
Lightweight hard-resin eyeglasses can weigh only about half as much as classic mineral-glass lenses. These are available in even thinner and more lightweight versions.
In the case of a stronger degree of short-sightedness or for anyone who is keen to have extremely thin and finely formed eyeglasses, we recommend high-index lenses. See External Lenses
Eyeglasses are all available with a variety of anti-reflective coatings and speciality tints or photochromic options. If you choose hard-resin lenses, it is advisable to add a scratch-resistant coating.
Contact lenses offer a number of advantages for the short-sighted. The more short-sighted you are, the more improvement in visual clarity they will afford and the wider your field of vision will be.