Very High Myopia

[parthapratim]

Hi, I found this forum to be very useful. I am from Bangalore, India. I am writing this with deep concern, expecting a quick response. I would like to share  the problem with the eye my wife is facing. When she was 12years, she had acquired power in her eyes(unable to say the power as no documents available). As she had difference of 5 diopters in both her eyes she was suggested to wear contact lens instead of glasses. after our marriage i knew she had high powers, today, she is having in her left eye -10, right eye -21. what is the next step? Please help.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You will NOT experience a decrease in your myopia. The treatment to reduce myopia with an eximer laser is lasik. You will be having hot laser treatment probably with an argon laser to seel the hole. Retinal detachments usually start with a hole/tear in the retina. Treatment is being done to reduce the risk of a retinal detachment.

JCH III MD

[parthapratim]

As per your advice we visited Eye MD ophthalmologist-physician of a for an evaluation and retina exam. They detected a hole in the retina, mentioned they are going to use laser to decrease the hole. I asked them if that will help to decrease the power. They were unable to explain clearly my queries I would like to know your suggestion. Since I am not comfortable on this subject, could you please tell me whether this treatment is going to decrease the power in her eye or what benefit will she get from this. Another query is when does hole develops in a retina. How harmful is it?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[CraziED]

This may be a little late, but please do not fall for what those quacks claims about how certain exercises or unconventional "treatments" (massages, pin-hole glasses, etc.) would help to retard or even reverse myopia or other eye conditions.

Please read the website "Singapore National Myopia Prevention Program." developed by the Singapore Ministry of Health, about what myopia is, is not, and what treatments are available: http://www.hpb.gov.sg/web/nmpp/

Also Worth reading is Stephen Barrett, M.D.'s website about the most popular "alternative" methods that promises healing to myopic eyes without glasses or treatments:
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/eyequack.html

[John C Hagan]

No its not helpful or necessary to restrict visual tasks like watching TV, using a computer, reading, etc. The more "normal " she's treated the better.

JCH III MD

[parthapratim]

Thank you very much Doctor for your invaluable suggestion.Before we visit any Eye MD ophthalmologist-physician  Do you suggest any kind of restriction, anything which she should avoid doing so in her daily life, to control the power in her eye, or some suggestion she should strictly maintain.

Thanking you in advance.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

She needs to see a Eye MD ophthalmologist-physician for an evaluation and retina exam. She needs to be sure there are no retinal problems or corneal problems that are undiagnosed.

She could discuss wearing contact lens which will give better vision than glasses, LASIK which would reduce the thickness of her glasses but likely not correct all the myopia. A final possibility would be a so called clear lens exchange which would involve taking the lens out of her eye and replacing it with a intraocular lens. This is the most complicated and expensive of the possible treatments.

JCH III MD

[parthapratim]

sorry, i forgot to mention, her age is 31 now.