Near-sightedness

"Myopia" redirects here. For any other use, see Myopia (disambiguation).

Problem with distance vision

Near-sightedness
Synonyms	Myopia, short-sightedness
Pronounce	N/A
Field	Ophthalmology, optometry
Symptoms	Distant objects appear blurry, close objects appear normal, headaches, eye strain
Complications	Retinal detachment, cataracts, glaucoma
Onset
Duration
Types	N/A
Causes	Combination of genetic and environmental factors
Risks	Near work, greater time spent indoors, family history
Diagnosis	Eye examination
Differential diagnosis
Prevention	More time outside for children
Treatment	Eyeglasses, contact lenses, surgery
Medication
Prognosis
Frequency	1.5 billion people (22%)
Deaths

Nearsightedness is a refractive error that makes far-away objects look blurry. It happens when the shape of the eye makes light focus in front of the retina (a light sensitive layer of tissue in the back of your eye), instead of on it.

Signs and symptoms

The most common symptom is blurry vision. Other symptoms include:

Double vision Hazy vision Seeing a glare or halo around bright lights Squinting Headaches Eye strain (when your eyes feel tired or sore) Trouble focusing when reading or looking at a computer Some people may not notice the symptoms of refractive errors. It’s important to get eye exams regularly — so your eye doctor can make sure you’re seeing as clearly as possible.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses and still have these symptoms, you might need a new prescription. Talk to your eye doctor and get an eye exam if you are having trouble with your vision.

People who have severe nearsightedness (also called high myopia) may also be at higher risk for other eye conditions, like retinal detachment (when the retina is pulled away from its normal position).

Risk factors

Anyone can be nearsighted, but you’re at higher risk if you have family members who are nearsighted too.

Nearsightedness usually starts between ages 6 and 14 and gets worse until your early twenties. Children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to be nearsighted, but experts aren’t sure why.

Causes

Nearsightedness happens when your eyeball grows too long from front to back, or when there are problems with the shape of your cornea (clear front layer of the eye) or lens (an inner part of the eye that helps the eye focus).

These problems make light focus in front of the retina instead of on it — and that makes far-away objects look blurry.

Diagnosis

Eye doctors can check for nearsightedness as part of a comprehensive eye exam. The exam is simple and painless.

Treatment

The most common treatments for nearsightedness are eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your eye doctor will prescribe the right lenses to help you see as clearly as possible.

Adults can also get surgery to treat nearsightedness. The surgery changes the shape of your cornea so it can focus light clearly.

Other refractive errors

What are the types of refractive errors? There are 4 common types of refractive errors:

• Nearsightedness (myopia) makes far-away objects look blurry
• Far-sightedness (hyperopia) makes nearby objects look blurry
• Astigmatism can make far-away and nearby objects look blurry or distorted
• Presbyopia makes it hard for middle-aged and older adults to see things up close

External links

Classification	ICD-10: H52.1 MeSH: D009216 DiseasesDB: 8729
External resources	MedlinePlus: 001023

Near-sightedness Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia