Short-sightedness (myopia)

About short-sightedness (myopia)

Short-sightedness can range from mild, where treatment may not be required, to severe, where a person's vision is significantly affected.

The condition usually starts around puberty. It gets gradually worse until the eye is fully grown. But it can also develop in very young children.

Signs that your child may be short-sighted can include:

• needing to sit near the front of the class at school because they find it difficult to read the whiteboard
• sitting close to the TV
• complaining of headaches or tired eyes
• regularly rubbing their eyes

Getting your eyes tested

If you think you or your child may be short-sighted, you should book an eye test at a local opticians. 

You should have a routine eye test at least every two years. But you can have a test at any point if you have any concerns about your vision.

An eye test can confirm whether you're short or long-sighted. You can be given a prescription for glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision.

For some people, such as children under 16, or those under 19 and in full-time education, eye tests are available free of charge on the health service.

• Eye care
• Eye care for children

Causes of short-sightedness

Short-sightedness usually occurs when the eyes grow slightly too long.

This means that light doesn't focus on the light-sensitive tissue (retina) at the back of the eye properly. Instead, the light rays focus just in front of the retina, resulting in distant objects appearing blurred.

It's not clear exactly why this happens. But it often runs in families and has been linked to focusing on nearby objects, such as books and computers, for long periods during childhood.

Treatments for short-sightedness

Short-sightedness can usually be corrected effectively with a number of treatments.

The main treatments are:

• corrective lenses, such as glasses or contact lenses to help the eyes focus on distant objects
• laser eye surgery to alter the shape of the eye – this isn't usually available on the health service and shouldn't be carried out on children, whose eyes are still developing
• artificial lens implants – where a lens is permanently inserted into the eyes to help them focus correctly; these are also not usually available on the health service

Associated eye conditions

Some adults with severe short-sightedness and young children with untreated short-sightedness are more likely to develop other eye problems.

These can include:

• a squint – a common childhood condition where the eyes point in different directions
• a lazy eye – a childhood condition where the vision in one eye doesn't develop properly
• glaucoma – increased pressure inside the eyes
• cataracts – where cloudy patches develop inside the lens of the eye
• retinal detachment – where the retina pulls away from the blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients

• Short-sightedness

More useful links

• How to use your health services
• Eye care for children