High Myopia Increases Risk of Blind-Causing Glaucoma...Young patients up 14% in 4 years
Mar 06, 2025
With high myopia, the length of the eyeball is relatively long, so the thickness of the structure supporting the eye is thin and the strength is weakened, and the optic nerve is likely to be damaged, and it can also affect the development of glaucoma.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients treated for shortsightedness in 2023 was 1,145,321, of which patients under the age of 30 accounted for about 68% of the total, raising the possibility of glaucoma even in the younger age group. In addition, if a patient suffering from both high myopia and glaucoma undergoes vision correction surgery, the intraocular pressure may increase and glaucoma may worsen during this process, so extra care should be taken.
Myopia refers to a symptom in which close objects are visible, but far objects are not clearly visible. Glaucoma is a disease that causes damage to the optic nerve due to various causes such as increased intraocular pressure, resulting in narrower vision and eventually blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important because once damaged optic nerves are difficult to recover. The risk of developing glaucoma may be higher because hyper-myopia can lead to more deformations in the ocular structure than in hyper-myopia.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of young patients under the age of 30 who received treatment for glaucoma increased by about 14% from 67,755 in 2019 to 69,576 in 2023. Some young high myopia glaucoma patients consider vision correction to improve their eyesight, but caution is needed.
In the case of LASIK, intraocular pressure can be increased by compressing the eyes during the process of creating corneal sections during surgery. In the case of lens insertion surgery, since it is to insert a foreign body in the eyeball, a lack of this space may increase intraocular pressure when considering the eye structure.
For example, when a guide lens is inserted between the iris and the lens, the space between the two tissues is narrow, so when the iris and the guide lens come into contact, friction occurs, and iris pigment decreases and waterproof flow is affected, possibly increasing intraocular pressure. To prevent this, measures are needed, such as creating a new waterproof discharge path to prevent internal pressure from rising or using lenses with holes in advance to facilitate waterproof discharge. If the intraocular space is narrow, it may be possible to choose a surgical method other than lens insertion surgery.
In addition, steroid drugs should be used for a certain period of time for stabilization after vision correction surgery, and in the case of glaucoma patients, the drug can affect the increase in intraocular pressure, so the progress should be carefully observed. Steroid drugs are usually used for one to three months, but if recovery is slow, steroid use can be prolonged, and if eye contact is stopped due to increased intraocular pressure, corneal confusion may occur, so you must consult a specialist.
"Since glaucoma is not a completely cured disease, it is important to manage it steadily so that the eye pressure does not rise through eye drops, etc.," said Lee Yoon-gon, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center at Kim Ophthalmology Hospital. "Although it is not impossible for glaucoma patients to perform vision correction surgery, it is necessary to carefully decide whether to perform surgery through a thorough examination and consultation with an ophthalmologist before surgery."
Meanwhile, Kim Ophthalmology Hospital will hold a lecture on 「Acute Closure Angle Glaucoma" by Lee Yoon-gon, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center, at Myeonggok Hall of Kim Ophthalmology Hospital on March 18 to mark World Glaucoma Week (March 9-15). Kim Ophthalmology Hospital holds a monthly 'Happy Eye Eye Health Course' to provide correct ophthalmology information and contribute to the improvement of public eye health.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients treated for shortsightedness in 2023 was 1,145,321, of which patients under the age of 30 accounted for about 68% of the total, raising the possibility of glaucoma even in the younger age group. In addition, if a patient suffering from both high myopia and glaucoma undergoes vision correction surgery, the intraocular pressure may increase and glaucoma may worsen during this process, so extra care should be taken.
Myopia refers to a symptom in which close objects are visible, but far objects are not clearly visible. Glaucoma is a disease that causes damage to the optic nerve due to various causes such as increased intraocular pressure, resulting in narrower vision and eventually blindness. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important because once damaged optic nerves are difficult to recover. The risk of developing glaucoma may be higher because hyper-myopia can lead to more deformations in the ocular structure than in hyper-myopia.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of young patients under the age of 30 who received treatment for glaucoma increased by about 14% from 67,755 in 2019 to 69,576 in 2023. Some young high myopia glaucoma patients consider vision correction to improve their eyesight, but caution is needed.
In the case of LASIK, intraocular pressure can be increased by compressing the eyes during the process of creating corneal sections during surgery. In the case of lens insertion surgery, since it is to insert a foreign body in the eyeball, a lack of this space may increase intraocular pressure when considering the eye structure.
For example, when a guide lens is inserted between the iris and the lens, the space between the two tissues is narrow, so when the iris and the guide lens come into contact, friction occurs, and iris pigment decreases and waterproof flow is affected, possibly increasing intraocular pressure. To prevent this, measures are needed, such as creating a new waterproof discharge path to prevent internal pressure from rising or using lenses with holes in advance to facilitate waterproof discharge. If the intraocular space is narrow, it may be possible to choose a surgical method other than lens insertion surgery.
In addition, steroid drugs should be used for a certain period of time for stabilization after vision correction surgery, and in the case of glaucoma patients, the drug can affect the increase in intraocular pressure, so the progress should be carefully observed. Steroid drugs are usually used for one to three months, but if recovery is slow, steroid use can be prolonged, and if eye contact is stopped due to increased intraocular pressure, corneal confusion may occur, so you must consult a specialist.
"Since glaucoma is not a completely cured disease, it is important to manage it steadily so that the eye pressure does not rise through eye drops, etc.," said Lee Yoon-gon, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center at Kim Ophthalmology Hospital. "Although it is not impossible for glaucoma patients to perform vision correction surgery, it is necessary to carefully decide whether to perform surgery through a thorough examination and consultation with an ophthalmologist before surgery."
Meanwhile, Kim Ophthalmology Hospital will hold a lecture on 「Acute Closure Angle Glaucoma" by Lee Yoon-gon, a specialist at the Glaucoma Center, at Myeonggok Hall of Kim Ophthalmology Hospital on March 18 to mark World Glaucoma Week (March 9-15). Kim Ophthalmology Hospital holds a monthly 'Happy Eye Eye Health Course' to provide correct ophthalmology information and contribute to the improvement of public eye health.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
