Myopia

Nearsightedness: also called myopia; a refractive error of the eye where the image of a distant object is formed in front of the retina and cannot be seen distinctly; near objects are seen more clearly than distant objects.

A myopic eye is longer than normal or has a cornea that is too steep. As a result, light rays focus in front of the retina instead of on it. Close objects look clear but distant objects appear blurred.

Myopia is typically inherited. It can be discovered in preschoolers and younger children, as well as in children when they are between ages eight and 12. During the teenage years, when the body grows rapidly, myopia may become worse. Between the ages of 20 and 40, there is usually little change.

If you have high myopia (correction of -3.00 or greater), you have a higher risk of having a detached retina, where the retina pulls away from the back of the eye. Your ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.)  should discuss the warning signs of retinal detachment with you if you are in this risk category. If the retina does detach, a surgical procedure is the only way to fix it.

It is truly important to have regular eye examinations by an ophthalmologist to watch for changes in the retina.