What Is Nearsightedness (Myopia)?
Learn more about this common eye problem that blurs distance vision.
4
min read
Reviewed on
July 2, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
Learn more about this common eye problem that blurs distance vision.
July 2, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
Learn more about this common eye problem that blurs distance vision.
July 2, 2024
Written by
Katherine Solem
Expert review by
Siddarth Rathi, MD
Have you ever struggled to read a sign on the opposite side of the room? Squinted to see what was on the board in the front of the class? Or waited until you got just a little closer to make out that street sign?
If so, you may be nearsighted.
Nearsightedness, also called myopia (my-OH-pee-uh), is a refractive error in which distance vision is blurry. It’s a very common condition – and becoming more so. It’s estimated that about 40% of people in the U.S. are nearsighted. By 2050, it’s estimated that nearly half of all people in the world will be nearsighted.
As its name suggests, farsightedness is the opposite condition.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eye is shaped in such a way that light bends to focus it in front of the retina rather than directly on it. This can happen when the eye is longer from front to back than normal. Or when the cornea at the front of the eye is more curved than normal.
Nearsightedness has a strong genetic component to it. If one or both of your parents are nearsighted, you are much more likely to be nearsighted as well.
People of Asian descent are more likely to be nearsighted. In fact, about 80% to 90% of people in Asia are nearsighted.
Doctors also think that too much time spent indoors and on screens increases a child’s risk of becoming nearsighted. Multiple studies have found that spending just at least one hour a day outdoors reduces the likelihood of a child becoming nearsighted.
Common symptoms include:
If you have mild nearsightedness, you may not notice any symptoms.
Nearsightedness is diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. Your doctor will perform various tests that measure your eyes and vision. They’ll also check for other refractive errors like farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia.
Nearsightedness in kids is often discovered before the age of 12. During the early to late teenage years, as the body grows and changes rapidly, nearsightedness often becomes worse. This is because the eyeball usually grows longer from front to back during this time. By the time a person is in their early 20s, their vision typically stabilizes until about age 40.
If you have nearsightedness, it’s noted on your eyewear prescription in the SPH or SPHERE column as a negative number (with a minus sign, “-”). The higher the number, the more powerful the correction you’ll need.
(Learn how to read your eyewear prescription.)
The most common treatments for nearsightedness are glasses and contact lenses.
Eye surgery is another option for treating nearsightedness. Your eye doctor may recommend different types of surgery depending on your degree of nearsightedness and if other conditions like astigmatism are present.
Other less common treatment options include a special kind of dilating eye drop called atropine and special types of contact lenses, including ortho-k lenses.
Note that eye exercises, vitamins, or other pills cannot prevent or treat nearsightedness.
People with severe nearsightedness are at higher risk for retinal detachment. That’s why it’s important to see your eye doctor regularly for a comprehensive eye exam.
