Health Encyclopedia

Nearsightedness

Definition

Nearsightedness is when the eyes focus incorrectly, making distant objects appear blurred.

Alternative Names

Myopia; Shortsightedness

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

A nearsighted person sees near objects clearly, while objects in the distance are blurred. As a result, someone with myopia tends to squint when viewing far away objects. This characteristic is the basis of the word "myopia," which comes from two Greek words: myein, meaning shut, and ops, meaning eye.

A nearsighted person can easily read the Jaeger eye chart (the chart for near reading), but finds the Snellen eye chart (the chart for distance) difficult to read. This blurred vision results when the visual image is focused in front of the retina, rather than directly on it.

Nearsightedness occurs when the physical length of the eye is greater than the optical length. For this reason, it often develops in the rapidly growing school-aged child or teenager, and progresses during the growth years, requiring frequent changes in glasses or contact lenses. It usually stops progressing as a person finishes growing in his or her early twenties.

Nearsightedness affects males and females equally. Those with a family history of nearsightedness are more likely to develop it. Most eyes with nearsightedness are entirely healthy, but a small number of people with myopia develop a form of retinal degeneration.

Symptoms

Blurred vision or squinting when trying to see distant objects (children often cannot read the blackboard, but can easily read a book)
Eyestrain
Headaches (uncommon)

Signs and tests

A general eye examination, or standard ophthalmic exam may include:

Measurement of the pressure of fluid in the eyes
Refraction test, to determine the correct prescription for glasses
Retinal examination
Slit-lamp exam of the structures at the front of the eyes
Test of color vision, to look for possible color blindness
Tests of the muscles that move the eyes
Visual acuity, both at a distance (Snellen), and close up (Jaeger)

Treatment

You can compensate for nearsightedness by wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, which shift the focus point to the retina. There are several surgical procedures that reshape the cornea, shifting the focus point from in front of the retina to the retina.

Radial keratotomy is a surgical procedure that was popular in the recent past. Now it has been almost completely replaced by LASIK, in which an excimer laser is used to reshape the cornea.

Expectations (prognosis)

Early diagnosis of nearsightedness is important, because a child can suffer socially and educationally by not being able to see well at a distance.

Complications

Complications can occur in people who use contact lenses (corneal ulcers and infections)
Complications of laser vision correction are uncommon, but can be serious
People with myopia can, in rare cases, develop retinal detachments or retinal degeneration

Calling your health care provider

Call for an appointment with your ophthalmologist if your child shows these signs, which may indicate a vision problem:

Having difficulty reading the blackboard in school or signs on a wall
Holding books very close when reading
Sitting close to the television

Call for an appointment with your ophthalmologist if your child is having difficulties at school that may be caused by a vision problem.

Call for an appointment with your ophthalmologist if you or your child is nearsighted and experiences:

Flashing lights
Floating spots
Sudden loss of any part of the field of vision

Prevention

There is no way to prevent nearsightedness. Reading and watching television do not cause nearsightedness. In the past, dilating eye drops were proposed as a treatment to slow the development of nearsightedness in children, but they have never been proved effective.

The use of glasses or contact lenses does not affect the normal progression of myopia -- they simply focus the light so the nearsighted person can see distant objects clearly.

Review Date:11/13/2007
Reviewed By:Manju Subramanian, M.D., Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Vitreoretinal Disease and Surgery, Boston University Eye Associates, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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