Myopia Treatment Cost in United Arab Emirates

The cost of Myopia treatment in the UAE typically ranges from $2,000 to $18,000 USD, depending on the hospital, city, and type of procedure.

Myopia (short-sightedness) makes distant objects look blurred, usually starting between ages 6 and 13 and often running in families. In the UAE, costs depend on:

• Eye tests: at least every 2 years.
• Glasses or contact lenses: the usual treatment.
• Laser or lens surgery: for suitable adults.
• Myopia control lenses: for some children.

The NHS says short-sightedness can get worse until the eye stops growing, usually around age 20. The exact cause is unclear, but spending more time outdoors may help stop it getting worse, especially in children.

Signs include difficulty seeing distant objects, sitting close to screens, headaches and frequent eye rubbing. Uncorrected short-sightedness in young children can lead to a squint or lazy eye.

Glasses and contact lenses are the usual treatment. Laser surgery reshapes the front of the eye, and lens surgery replaces the eye's lens with an artificial one, for adults.

Specially designed glasses or contact lenses may slow progression in children, and overnight orthokeratology lenses can improve daytime vision. Severe short-sightedness in adults raises the risk of glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and retinal detachment.

Under basic UAE health insurance plans, planned inpatient treatment needs the insurer's prior approval and co-payments apply, while emergency care is handled differently.

Gulf News reports that vision correction is excluded under basic UAE insurance, so laser eye surgery and glasses are usually paid for privately.