Can Nearsightedness Cause Glaucoma?

By Mohamed Taki - Medical Research Editor | July 1st, 2011

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common eye disease that affects millions of Americans today.

New study found that people with severe cases of nearsightedness are more likely to develop glaucoma, which can lead to blindness.

When nearsightedness is left untreated, it can lead to some serious eye complications. Symptoms include glaucoma and retina detachment, both eventually leading to blindness.

Symptoms of retinal detachment may include seeing showers of dark spots, flashes and floaters.

Regular eye care examinations and eye screenings are required for persons with high myopia. Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can damage the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain.

There are four major types of glaucoma: open-angle (chronic) glaucoma, angle-closure (acute) glaucoma, congenital glaucoma and secondary glaucoma.

The most common type is open angle glaucoma, where an increase in eye pressure occurs gradually over time, pushing on the optic nerve and the retina to the back of the eye.

Eleven previous studies, including tens of thousands of people, proved that nearsightedness in fact causes glaucoma.

According to Dr. Nomdo Jansonius, who lead one of those studies at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, nearsighted people were about 90 percent more likely to also develop open-angle glaucoma. Those with higher levels of myopia appeared to be at higher risk of glaucoma, as well.

Studies also show that glaucoma is linked to age and ethnicity, with African Americans are more at risk. Other studies have shown that in this digital age and virtual world, a contributing cause of myopia is video games, TV, and computer screens, which require people to focus on small objects for long periods of time. This places a lot of pressure on the muscles of the eye, and can change the shape of the eyeball, which in turn, causes nearsightedness.

Genetics and diabetes could also be a significant factor. There are many symptoms of vision problems that we tend to ignore. With the consequences that come with the digital age, technology can bring us a lot of benefits, too.

A large number of patients, who are experiencing vision problems, including nearsightedness and farsightedness, seek laser eye surgery to improve their vision impairments. Its ease, convenience and short recovery time, inspires a lot of patients to undergo eye surgery (Lasik).

To learn more about the causes of visual problems and how to prevent future eye complications, contact an ophthalmologist in your area.

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