Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of NearsightednessSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentOutlook
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Nearsightedness
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Outlook
Nearsightedness, ormyopia, is an eye problem that causes objects at a distance to appear blurry. A nearsighted person can see things close to them but have a hard time focusing on objects far away.
This article explains nearsightedness types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. It also covers risks associated with the condition.
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Nearsightedness may be mild (called “low myopia”) or severe (called “high myopia”). If you have high myopia, your nearsightedness will usually stabilize in your twenties. Those with more severe nearsightedness are at higher risk of developing other eye conditions, likecataractsandglaucoma.
Children can inherit nearsightedness if one of their parents has it. You might notice signs of this vision problem when a child is between 8 and 12 years old.
Nearsightedness Symptoms
If you have nearsightedness, you may exhibit specific symptoms, including:
If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s good to visit aneye doctorfor an evaluation.
What Causes Nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball is slightly longer than usual or when thecornea(the clear dome of tissue at the front of the eye) is steeper than average. These conditions cause light to focus in front of theretina(thin tissue lining the back of the eyeball) instead of directly on its surface.
Potential causes of nearsightedness include:
In most cases, nearsightedness is inherited. However, some evidence suggests that the shift from outdoor activities to indoor, close-up activities, like reading, using computers and handheld electronics, and playing video games, may induce nearsightedness.
Although doctors often see this in clinical practice, research is still ongoing on the role of close-up activities and nearsightedness. In some countries, the general population is so nearsighted that it is considered a public health crisis or epidemic. For example, 80–90% of high school graduates have myopia in East and Southeast Asia.
How Is It Diagnosed?
To diagnose nearsightedness, an eye doctor will do acomprehensive eye examination. This exam screens for all potential problems with your eyes and usually includes:
When tested, some individuals over-focus or have accommodative spasms or blurry vision after focusing on something for a while. This episode occurs because your eyes have trouble relaxing after working hard on focusing on a near task, like a vision test. These spasms usually resolve after a few minutes.
Nearsightedness Treatment
Depending on the degree of nearsightedness, some people may only need glasses for driving or watching a movie. Others with a high degree of nearsightedness may only have clear vision a few inches from their nose.
Eye doctors treat nearsightedness with different types of devices or procedures to modify your vision, including:
Low-doseatropinemay slow the progression of myopia.
Nearsightedness is common and treatable. It varies in severity, and for some people, wearing corrective lenses can completely resolve the problem with no side effects. However, others may experience occasional eyestrain or headaches.
High myopia increases the risk of some eye conditions, including:
Consistently wearing your glasses or contacts and getting regular eye exams to keep your prescription current reduces the likelihood of symptoms and helps catch problems early.
Pigment Dispersion Syndrome
Summary
Myopia is the medical term for nearsightedness. Symptoms include eyestrain, headaches, and difficulty seeing distant objects. Nearsightedness may be low (mild) or high (severe). High myopia increases the risk of certain eye conditions, including glaucoma, cataracts, and a detached retina.
Eye doctors diagnose through a comprehensive eye exam. Then, they treat it with corrective eyewear, like glasses or contact lenses, or with laser surgical treatment. Regular eye exams to keep your prescription current and screen for potential problems are critical when you have nearsightedness.
Nearsightedness vs. Farsightedness: What Are the Differences?
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Nearsightedness: what is myopia?National Eye Institute.Nearsightedness (myopia).Wolffsohn JS, Flitcroft DI, Gifford KL, et al.IMI – myopia control reports overview and introduction.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(3):M1-M19. doi:10.1167/iovs.18-25980Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, et al.Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Ophthalmol. 2017;95(6):551-566. doi:10.1111/aos.13403Sherwin JC, Reacher MH, Keogh RH, Khawaja AP, Mackey DA, Foster PJ.The association between time spent outdoors and myopia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Ophthalmology. 2012;119(10):2141-2151. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.04.020American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Khalid K, Padda J, Pokhriyal S, et al.Pseudomyopia and its association with anxiety.Cureus. 2021;13(8):e17411. doi:10.7759/cureus.17411Khanal S, Phillips JR.Which low-dose atropine for myopia control?Clin Exp Optom. 2020;103(2):230-232. doi:10.1111/cxo.12967Williams K, Hammond C.High myopia and its risks.Community Eye Health. 2019;32(105):5-6.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Nearsightedness: what is myopia?National Eye Institute.Nearsightedness (myopia).Wolffsohn JS, Flitcroft DI, Gifford KL, et al.IMI – myopia control reports overview and introduction.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(3):M1-M19. doi:10.1167/iovs.18-25980Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, et al.Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Ophthalmol. 2017;95(6):551-566. doi:10.1111/aos.13403Sherwin JC, Reacher MH, Keogh RH, Khawaja AP, Mackey DA, Foster PJ.The association between time spent outdoors and myopia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Ophthalmology. 2012;119(10):2141-2151. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.04.020American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Khalid K, Padda J, Pokhriyal S, et al.Pseudomyopia and its association with anxiety.Cureus. 2021;13(8):e17411. doi:10.7759/cureus.17411Khanal S, Phillips JR.Which low-dose atropine for myopia control?Clin Exp Optom. 2020;103(2):230-232. doi:10.1111/cxo.12967Williams K, Hammond C.High myopia and its risks.Community Eye Health. 2019;32(105):5-6.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Nearsightedness: what is myopia?National Eye Institute.Nearsightedness (myopia).Wolffsohn JS, Flitcroft DI, Gifford KL, et al.IMI – myopia control reports overview and introduction.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(3):M1-M19. doi:10.1167/iovs.18-25980Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, et al.Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Ophthalmol. 2017;95(6):551-566. doi:10.1111/aos.13403Sherwin JC, Reacher MH, Keogh RH, Khawaja AP, Mackey DA, Foster PJ.The association between time spent outdoors and myopia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Ophthalmology. 2012;119(10):2141-2151. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.04.020American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.Khalid K, Padda J, Pokhriyal S, et al.Pseudomyopia and its association with anxiety.Cureus. 2021;13(8):e17411. doi:10.7759/cureus.17411Khanal S, Phillips JR.Which low-dose atropine for myopia control?Clin Exp Optom. 2020;103(2):230-232. doi:10.1111/cxo.12967Williams K, Hammond C.High myopia and its risks.Community Eye Health. 2019;32(105):5-6.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Nearsightedness: what is myopia?
National Eye Institute.Nearsightedness (myopia).
Wolffsohn JS, Flitcroft DI, Gifford KL, et al.IMI – myopia control reports overview and introduction.Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019;60(3):M1-M19. doi:10.1167/iovs.18-25980
Xiong S, Sankaridurg P, Naduvilath T, et al.Time spent in outdoor activities in relation to myopia prevention and control: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Acta Ophthalmol. 2017;95(6):551-566. doi:10.1111/aos.13403
Sherwin JC, Reacher MH, Keogh RH, Khawaja AP, Mackey DA, Foster PJ.The association between time spent outdoors and myopia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Ophthalmology. 2012;119(10):2141-2151. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2012.04.020
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye exam and vision testing basics.
Khalid K, Padda J, Pokhriyal S, et al.Pseudomyopia and its association with anxiety.Cureus. 2021;13(8):e17411. doi:10.7759/cureus.17411
Khanal S, Phillips JR.Which low-dose atropine for myopia control?Clin Exp Optom. 2020;103(2):230-232. doi:10.1111/cxo.12967
Williams K, Hammond C.High myopia and its risks.Community Eye Health. 2019;32(105):5-6.
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