Yep! Nearly all cases of myopia can be improved with corrective lenses, medicated eye drops, and refractive surgery.
The first step toward vision correction is scheduling a comprehensive eye exam with a licensed optometrist. Your eye doctor will perform refraction and eye health assessments to help determine what is causing your vision problems and treatment options that may be right for you.
Common forms of vision correction used to fix nearsightedness include:
Eyeglasses: Prescription eyeglasses feature lenses that help compensate for the refractive error in the eye. Lenses are specially shaped to help light bend properly into the eye.
Contact lenses: Just like eyeglasses, contact lenses correct refractive errors in the eye. Contact lenses can also be used in orthokeratology, which the American Optometric Association (AOA) described as "braces for your eyes". Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is a process where rigid contact lenses are worn at night to gently reshape the cornea. Orthokeratology is often used with children, as vision can continue to change as they grow older.
If you want to correct your vision problems without having to wear contact lenses or eyeglasses, your eye doctor may recommend a surgical procedure. Eye surgery is normally done through an ophthalmology clinic after a referral from an optometrist. Surgical procedures that correct refractive errors in the eye are known as refractive surgery.
Refractive surgery procedures often include:
Laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK): LASIK surgery is a safe and effective form of refractive error correction. In this procedure, a surgeon will use a focused laser beam to create a tiny flap in the cornea, which they will then reshape to properly refract light into the eye.
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK): Similarly to LASIK surgery, a surgeon will use a focused laser beam to reshape the curve of the cornea. Instead of cutting a flap in the cornea, as would happen in a LASIK procedure, the surgeon will gently remove the top layer of cells in the cornea and reshape the corneal curve. They will then refit the top layer of cells from the cornea once the shaping is finished. PRK is recommended for people with active lifestyles or jobs. According to the AAO, activity can accidentally dislodge the flap created in the cornea with LASIK. PRK refits the top of the cornea after shaping is finished, so there is less concern after the procedure.
Because nearsightedness can get worse as vision develops and the body grows, there are several therapeutic treatment options available to help slow the progression of distance vision loss. These therapies include:
Ortho-K: Ortho-K contact lenses can help gently reshape the cornea during sleep. Ortho-K treatment, if used consistently and as prescribed, can correct vision problems significantly.
Atropine eye drops: Atropine eye drops help relax the eye's muscle and dilate pupils, helping the eye focus more easily. This has been shown to help slow the progression of nearsightedness, especially in children. Atropine may lead to discomfort and light sensitivity, so long-term use is rarely prescribed by eye doctors.
Multi-focal Lenses: Multifocal lenses in both contacts and eyeglasses have been shown to help slow the progression of nearsightedness in children. These lenses are less effective with adults but have been shown to reduce nearsighted progression by 30-50% in children between the ages of 8-12 years old.