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  # Myopia

 

 ## What is myopia?

 

 Nearsightedness or myopia means you have **trouble seeing things clearly in the distance**. This condition is usually developed in school-age children. Often, the first complaint is that you can no longer read what is on the blackboard. Myopia can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Unfortunately, these devices also have drawbacks. They can be bothersome during daily life, for example during sports. Additionally, someone with myopia who wears glasses or contact lenses cannot work in certain professions, such as the police, fire brigade, or the aviation sector.



  



 ## What does a myopic eye look like?

 

 In myopia, the **eyeball is slightly longer than normal**, so the distance between the cornea and retina is too great and the focal point of light falls in the posterior chamber of the eye. So, the eyeball bundles the light in front of the retina instead of directly on it. Myopia is expressed as a negative number, such as diopter -6. When myopia is treated, you can see things that are further away clearly again without glasses or contact lenses.



  

     ![](/sites/default/files/styles/3_2_small/public/2021-06/Bijziendheid.jpg?h=c8fb42fb&itok=0MgzaCBU)     

 

 



 ## How can myopia be treated?

 

 Are you myopic and would you rather not use glasses or contact lenses? Several treatments are available:

- Laser eye surgery
- Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)
- Lens replacement

  
Which treatment is best for you is determined during the [preliminary examination](/en/about-medifocus/preliminary-examination).



  



  ### Laser eye surgery

Laser eye surgery can successfully treat myopia by **flattening the cornea**. Then, the focal point is again exactly on the retina.

In most cases, laser eye surgery for myopia is possible for **diopters between 0 and -8**.

At Medifocus, we usually treat myopia with [reLEx smile](https://medifocus.be/en/treatments/relex-smile) because this technique gives the best results. We also offer the [Femto LASIK](https://medifocus.be/en/treatments/femto-lasik) technique.



  [Read more about Read more about ReLEx smile](/en/relex-smile) Read more about ReLEx smile       

 

 

 





 ### Implantable Contact Lens (ICL)

For high myopia (> -8), a special **implantable contact lens** (ICL) is placed in the eye.

The advantage of ICL is that, in contrast to laser treatment, it does **not depend** on the **thickness of the cornea**.

So, ICL is also an alternative for corrections under -8 that are not possible with laser.



  [Read more about Read more about ICL](/en/icl) Read more about ICL       

 

 

 





 ### Lens replacement

A **lens replacement or implant** is a very efficient way to correct myopia in those over 50.

This procedure is one of the **safest** and **most perfected operations** in ophthalmology. Compared to laser treatment, with lens replacement, we can also treat **higher diopters** (> -8).



  [Read more about Read more about lens replacement](/en/lens-replacement) Read more about lens replacement       

 

 

 





 

 

 ## Martien V.G.

*A few months ago, I underwent a laser eye treatment using the ReLEx Smile technique as to cure my myopia. I am beyond satisfied with the results.*



   [Read more testimonials on Google](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=medifocus#lrd=0x47c1622a7f1c95fd:0x239a60e411a5787f,1,,,)

 

 

 

    



 ## Also read about other eye conditions that we treat at Medifocus:

 

 - [Astigmatism](https://www.medifocus.be/en/eye-conditions/astigmatism)
- [Hyperopia](https://www.medifocus.be/en/eye-conditions/hyperopia)
- [Presbyopia](https://www.medifocus.be/en/eye-conditions/presbyopia)
- [Cataract](https://www.medifocus.be/en/eye-conditions/cataract)