Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is a common vision condition where objects in the distance appear blurry while close vision is usually clearer.
It often develops during childhood or the teenage years, although myopia affects adults too.
Myopia can make it difficult to see road signs, recognise faces across a room, watch television, follow sporting action or see the whiteboard at school. Fortunately, the blurred vision caused by myopia can usually be corrected very effectively.
What Is Myopia?
For clear vision, light entering the eye needs to focus accurately on the retina at the back of the eye.
In most myopia, the eye has grown longer than expected. This causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making objects in the distance appear blurred.
The amount of myopia is measured as part of your glasses or contact lens prescription and is usually written as a minus number, for example -1.00D or -4.00D.
What Are the Symptoms of Myopia?
Myopia can cause:
- Blurred distance vision
- Squinting to see clearly
- Difficulty seeing road signs or the television
- Difficulty recognising faces from a distance
- Trouble seeing the whiteboard or classroom displays
- Difficulty following a ball or scoreboard during sport
- Glare, halos or reduced clarity when driving at night
Children do not always realise that their distance vision is blurry, particularly if the change has happened gradually.
What Causes Myopia?
Myopia develops through a combination of genetic, environmental and eye-growth factors.
Having one or both parents who are myopic increases a child's likelihood of becoming short-sighted. Lifestyle also appears to play a role, particularly the amount of time children spend doing prolonged close work and the amount of time they spend outdoors.
Screens are only one type of close work. Reading, homework, drawing and other activities performed at close distances also contribute to our overall near-work time.
Regular breaks from prolonged close work and spending time outdoors are good habits for developing eyes.
Is Myopia Becoming More Common?
Yes. Myopia is becoming increasingly common around the world, particularly among children and younger adults.
Of particular concern is myopia developing at younger ages. When myopia begins earlier, there are more years during which the eye can continue to grow and the prescription can increase.
This is one reason modern eye care increasingly focuses on identifying and managing progressive myopia during childhood.
Why Does Myopia Matter?
For most people, glasses or contact lenses can correct the blurry vision caused by myopia extremely well.
However, myopia is not only about needing stronger glasses.
Increasing levels of myopia and excessive elongation of the eye are associated with an increased lifetime risk of eye conditions including retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataract.
This does not mean that someone with myopia will develop these conditions. It does mean that regular eye examinations remain important throughout life.
How Is Myopia Corrected?
Depending on your eyes, age and lifestyle, myopia can be corrected with:
- Glasses
- Contact lenses
- Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)
- Refractive surgery for suitable adults
For children and teenagers, there is an important distinction between correcting myopia and managing myopia.
Standard glasses and contact lenses provide clear vision. Myopia-management treatments are specifically designed to provide clear vision while also helping to slow excessive eye growth and myopia progression.
Myopia in Children
Myopia commonly begins during the school years and may continue to increase while a child is growing.
Signs can be subtle. A child may move closer to the television, struggle to recognise people at a distance, sit closer to the front of the classroom or notice that they cannot see a ball or scoreboard as well as their friends.
If your child has recently become short-sighted, or their prescription is increasing, a more detailed myopia assessment can help us understand how their eyes are developing.
At Illume Eye Care, this can include axial length measurement, which measures the eye from front to back and allows us to monitor eye growth alongside changes in prescription.
Is your child's myopia progressing?
There are now several evidence-based options available to slow myopia progression in children, including specialised spectacle lenses, soft contact lenses, Ortho-K and prescription treatments.
Learn more about Myopia Management at Illume Eye Care →
When Should You See an Optometrist?
Book an eye examination if you or your child are noticing blurry distance vision, squinting, difficulty driving or seeing the board at school, or a change in an existing glasses or contact lens prescription.
At Illume Eye Care in Ponsonby, Auckland, our comprehensive eye examinations assess not only your prescription but also your eye health and visual function.
Frequently Asked Questions About Myopia
Is myopia the same as short-sightedness?
Yes. Myopia is the clinical term for short-sightedness or near-sightedness.
Does screen time cause myopia?
It isn't as simple as screens directly causing myopia. Myopia is influenced by genetics, eye growth and environmental factors. Greater amounts of prolonged near work and spending less time outdoors have been associated with the development of childhood myopia.
Can glasses make myopia worse?
No. Wearing an appropriate glasses prescription does not cause myopia to worsen.
Can myopia get worse?
Yes. Myopia often progresses during childhood and adolescence and can sometimes continue changing into young adulthood.
Can myopia be cured?
Glasses and contact lenses correct the blurred vision but do not shorten an elongated eye. Myopia-management treatments used during childhood aim to slow further progression rather than “cure” existing myopia.
Clinically reviewed by an Illume Eye Care Sptometrist | Last reviewed: August 2026
