Myopia Fact Sheet


What is it?

The common name for myopia is nearsightedness. It is a refractive condition in which objects that are nearby are seen clearly, but distant objects do not come into proper focus. Nearsightedness occurs if your eyeball is too long or the cornea has too much curvature, so that the rays of light entering your eye are not focused correctly on the retina. Nearsightedness is a very common vision condition that affects nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population. It normally first occurs in school-age children and adolescents. The eye continues to grow during childhood, and nearsightedness generally develops by age 20.

Other common refractive conditions (having to do with focusing light in the eye) are hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia. Emmetropia is the term used when light is properly focussed. See the Glossary and the website given below for more information.


Signs and Symptoms

The characteristic sign of nearsightedness is difficulty seeing distant objects like a movie or TV screen or chalkboard. These objects appear more or less fuzzy, depending on distance. An adult or an older child will probably recognize the problem and realize that he or she should be examined by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Signs to be aware of in a younger child are the avoidance of close work, holding pictures or books very close to the eyes, or frequent headaches. In any case, even if there is no apparent problem, a child's vision should be screened periodically by the pediatrician.

The myopia animation shows what the world might look like to a person with progressively worse, untreated myopia.


Prevention

Although the shape of the eyeball is probably largely determined by genetics, there may also be an environmental component to myopia. There is growing evidence that nearsightedness may be caused by the stress of close vision work such as reading and watching television. However, because such activities are essential to modern lifestyles, there is really nothing we can do to prevent myopia. Fortunately, it is a benign condition and easily corrected.


Treatment

A comprehensive examination by an eye-care professional will include testing for nearsightedness. Your optometrist or opthalmologist can then prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses to optically correct nearsightedness by altering the way that light enters your eyes. You may only need to wear them for certain activities, like watching TV or a movie or driving a car, or they may need to be worn for most activities. Follow instructions as to how long contact lenses should be left in the eye, or else inflammation or infection can occur.

Refractive surgery or laser procedures are also possible treatments for nearsightedness. LASIK is the most common form of operation at present. If you decide to go this route, make sure a reputable eye surgeon carries out the procedure, and be aware that vision can be made worse by LASIK in a small percentage of patients.


Research at the Schepens

Recent work includes:

Adaptive-optical studies on the optics of the eye for various colors of light, and the relevance of this for refractive surgery outcomes. Dr. Stephen Burns.
New methods of refractive surgery that may lessen the chance of corneal scarring and other complications. Dr. Dimitri Azar.
Developed polymers for first oxygen-permeable contact lenses.
For more information about myopia, related refraction conditions, and their treatments, see the American Optometric Association’s website

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