Table of contents:
- What are the characteristics of minus eyes?
- The characteristics of minus eyes in children
- When should I see a doctor?
Eyes are a window to the world. But when you have minus eyes, you certainly can't see the world clearly. In the medical world, minus eyes are called nearsightedness or myopia. Not being able to see faraway objects clearly is a symptom of nearsightedness. Minus eye signs can start to appear from the age of children. Apart from difficulty seeing from a distance, there are also other minus eye characteristics.
What are the characteristics of minus eyes?
Normally, light from outside should fall right on the retina for you to see clearly. However, refractive errors in minus eyes cause light to fall in front of the retina of the eye so that objects that are far away will appear blurry or appear blurred.
Signs of myopia or nearsightedness generally begin to appear at the age of 6-14 years. According to Boston Children's Hospital, 20% of children that age experience eye minus. However, everyone of all ages can actually experience these minus eye symptoms.
The characteristics that indicate you are experiencing minus eye include:
- Blurred vision when looking at objects that are far away
- Must squint or partially close eyelids for objects that are far away clearly
- The eyes feel sore and tired when staring at something for too long
- Headache
- Difficulty seeing when riding especially at night (night blindness).
The characteristics of minus eyes in children
As already mentioned, nearsightedness or minus eyes are often detected for the first time during childhood. The cause of minus eye in children can be influenced by genetic factors or heredity from parents who are also nearsighted or the habit of reading or watching too closely.
It is important for you to recognize the minus eye signs experienced by children, including:
- Continue to squint when looking at something
- Difficulty seeing writing or pictures on the blackboard
- Excessive blinking
- Rub your eyes frequently
- Feel nauseous after reading
- Often approaching objects to see clearly, such as sitting in front, holding gadget and book too close.
- Frequent headaches if you focus on reading or watching for too long.
Children can also have minus eyes from birth, but the symptoms will only appear when he gets older, when his body and organs begin to develop.
Although the symptoms of nearsightedness generally start at the age of the child, minus eye characteristics need to be checked by a doctor
When should I see a doctor?
If the vision is blurry to the point of interfering with daily activities, you should immediately visit an ophthalmologist to get a definite diagnosis. Because the symptoms of nearsightedness that are described can also be a sign of eye disease that is not caused by refractive disorders such as nearsightedness.
Later, the doctor will perform a series of examinations to check whether you or your child has minus eyes, aka nearsightedness.
This examination starts with the simplest, such as an eye vision test to read the standard letter chart on the Snellen card. There is also a much more complex test that uses sophisticated lenses and machines to observe the inner structure of the eye.
From the examination, the doctor can determine your minus degree of nearsightedness and recommend various ways to treat your minus eye. The method of treatment can be by using glasses, contact lenses, or undergoing refractive surgery.
In addition, you need to visit your doctor immediately if you experience:
- Suddenly appeared floaters a lot
- A flash of light in one or both eyes
- The shadow is like a curtain over your field of vision
These are the characteristics of a minus eye that is accompanied by signs of retinal detachment or detachment of the retina. The condition is serious enough and requires immediate medical care.
It is important for you to recognize the characteristics of minus eyes because if left untreated, the nearsightedness that you experience can get worse and annoying. Immediately get your eyes checked by a doctor so that you can immediately solve the vision problems that are experienced due to minus eyes.