Eye health resources

What is myopia? Causes, symptoms, and treatments

Myopia—also called nearsightedness —is a vision condition that makes it difficult to focus on objects that are in the distance (like street signs). It’s typically caused by the eye growing too long from front to back, which causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

Medically reviewed on Sept 22, 2026

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Updated on October 12, 2026

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5 minute read

Key takeaways

Myopia, or nearsightedness, makes it difficult to see objects clearly when they’re at a distance.
Myopia is caused by a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors.
Symptoms of myopia may include blurry distance vision, headaches, and squinting. Over time, myopia may also increase the risk of eye complications.
Myopia treatment depends on your age and lifestyle, and may include glasses, contact lenses, lifestyle changes, or surgery.

What is myopia?

Myopia is a refractive error, which means the eye is shaped in a way that prevents light from focusing properly. With myopia, a person may be able to read a book without vision correction but may struggle to read a street sign or recognize a person’s face from a distance.

Myopia at a glance

Myopia definition	Refractive error that causes blurry distance vision and an increased risk of eye complications later in life
Also known as	Nearsightedness or shortsightedness
Common symptoms	Blurry distance vision, squinting, headaches, and eye strain
Main risk factors	Genetics, prolonged near work, and limited time outdoors
How to diagnose	Comprehensive eye exam
Common ways to correct	Eyeglasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery for eligible adults
Management in children	Specialized contact lenses or eyeglasses, atropine^† where appropriate, and lifestyle recommendations
Can it be reversed?	Existing myopia generally cannot be reversed, but vision can be corrected and progression may sometimes be managed

Myopia is becoming more common around the world

The number of people with myopia has nearly doubled over the past 20 years
It's estimated that by 2050, nearly half the world’s population will have myopia
Lifestyle changes, including more time spent focusing on digital screens, books, and other up-close objects, are contributing to a rise in children developing myopia at an early age

What causes myopia?

Myopia is caused by your eye being shaped in a way that makes light focus before it reaches your retina. This can happen when the eye is too long from front to back or when the cornea or natural lens inside the eye is curved too steeply. When this is the case, light focuses before it reaches your retina (the part of the eye that helps turn the light coming into your eye into what you see), causing blurry vision. It most often begins during childhood as the eye grows and develops.

Symptoms of myopia

Common symptoms of myopia include blurry distance vision, frequent squinting, poor depth perception, and headaches caused by eye strain.

Myopia is often discovered when a child struggles to see distant objects clearly, like the board in a classroom. This is why it’s so important to get your child’s eyes—and your family’s eyes—checked regularly. Correcting vision (even minor vision problems) could improve school performance and reduce symptoms like headaches. Yearly comprehensive exams are recommended to start around age five. While only a comprehensive eye exam can determine whether you have myopia (and at what level), some common symptoms of uncorrected myopia include:

Blurry distance vision

Things that are not up close may look blurry and hard to distinguish. For instance, street signs could be difficult to read until you’re close to them. This is why a telltale sign of myopia is squinting to see objects in the distance.

Poor depth perception

Since things that are not very close by are blurry, it can become hard to judge exactly how far away objects are. This can make even simple activities like walking around more dangerous.

Headaches and frequent eye strain

People with uncorrected myopia may have to squint to be able to see many things in their everyday life, like street signs and the faces of those around them. This constant squinting and difficulty focusing can cause headaches and feelings of eye strain.

Risk factors of myopia

While scientists can’t yet predict exactly who will develop myopia, it is widely understood to result from a combination of genetics and lifestyle factors.

Genetics

Genetics play a role in myopia development, meaning that if one or both of your parents have it, you’re more likely to have it too. Even so, having a parent with myopia does not guarantee that you will develop it, and some people develop myopia even if neither parent has it.

Lifestyle

Increased near work (like reading, drawing or playing video games) and decreased time outdoors have both been found to be risk factors for developing myopia. In today’s increasingly digital world, these factors may help explain why myopia is becoming more common. Modern lifestyles that include more indoor time and time spent focusing on things near your face may disrupt the eyes’ normal growth signals, causing the eyes to grow longer than they should. Still, more studies are needed to understand the exact processes and signals that the eye uses to drive its growth.

Screen time and children’s eyes

Why is catching myopia early important?

It's important to catch myopia early in life when a child develops myopia because it’s likely to worsen as they grow, which may increase the risk of serious eye complications when they get older. Here’s why: a child's eyes grow quickly, so if they develop myopia at a young age, their myopia will likely progress for a greater number of years. This matters because even small changes in eyesight can increase the risk for other eye problems. While a higher prescription often means a higher risk, there is no "safe" level of myopia. For every step up in a prescription (like going from -2.00 to -3.00), the risk of a serious eye disease called myopic macular degeneration goes up by 67%.

Understanding high myopia

How is myopia treated and managed?

It’s important to note that myopia cannot be reversed, only managed or corrected. When myopia is identified early, it may be managed through corrective lenses, orthokeratology, certain eye drops, and lifestyle changes like spending more time outdoors. As an adult, myopia can be corrected with things like glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.

Treatments at a glance

Treatment option	Primary purpose	Typical treatment age	Myopia management?
Eyeglasses	Correct blurry vision	Children and adults	No
Contact lenses	Correct blurry vision	Children and adults	No
Myopia management contact lenses	Correct vision and help manage myopia progression	Eligible children	Yes
Myopia management spectacles	Correct vision and manage myopia progression	Eligible children	Yes
Orthokeratology	Temporary corneal reshaping for vision correction	Eligible children and adults	Yes
Low-dose atropine^†	May help slow childhood progression	Eligible children	Yes
Laser vision correction	Correct blurry vision	Eligible adults	No
Lifestyle changes	Help with healthy eye development	Children	Yes

†Atropine is not FDA-approved in the United States for slowing myopia progression; use for myopia management is considered off-label

For children, a myopia management plan

Every child should be monitored for myopia from an early age, with annual comprehensive eye exams starting by the age of five. Once a child develops myopia, it cannot be reversed and will often worsen as they grow. The good news is that it is possible to slow excessive eye growth with certain treatments and lifestyle changes. Together, these treatments for myopia are called myopia management. Depending on the unique needs of your child’s eyes, your eye doctor may recommend:

Orthokeratology

This treatment uses customized lenses to manage myopia while your child sleeps. These lenses gently reshape the cornea overnight so your child can see clearly during the day, usually without the need for additional vision correction.

Corrective lenses

Traditional eyeglasses and contact lenses can correct blurry vision. It is important to note that as the child’s myopia progresses, the continuous eye growth can result in the need for higher prescriptions.

Eye drops

Low-dose atropine has been shown to slow the progression of myopia in children and teens. Atropine is not FDA-approved in the United States for slowing myopia progression; use for myopia management is considered off-label.

Myopia management contact lenses

These contacts are worn during the day and have special optics that both help correct vision and manage myopia.

More time outdoors

Research shows that spending at least two hours per day outdoors can help reduce myopia onset or slow its progression.

Less near work

Reducing time spent on near work outside of school, like reading or using tablets, may help lower the risk of myopia onset.

The 20-20-20 rule

Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds when doing near work activities like reading, screen time, or homework.

Managing childhood myopia

For adults, correct vision and get checked often

The eye shape that causes myopia is irreversible, but adults with myopia have a number of options to correct their blurry vision. Some of the most common myopia treatment options include eyeglasses, contact lenses, orthokeratology, and laser eye surgery. While these treatments can correct blurry distance vision, adults with myopia should still see their eye doctor annually because of the increased risk of other eye complications. If you’re exploring options for vision correction, your eye doctor can help you find lenses that fit your eyes and lifestyle.

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What’s next?

Schedule your eye exam today

If you know you have myopia or just think you or your child might, make sure to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Your eye doctor will check the health of you or your child's eyes and recommend a treatment plan.

How good is your vision?

Use your phone to take an at-home vision test and see how your vision is measuring up. Remember, the only way to know the health of your eyes and to get a contact lens prescription is to see an eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Is myopia the same as nearsightedness?

Yes. Myopia and nearsightedness are the same condition. Myopia is the medical term, while nearsightedness is the term more commonly used in everyday language.

What are the early signs of myopia?

Early signs of myopia include headaches, squinting, and blurry vision. It could also manifest in school as boredom, behavioral issues and/or poor academic performance. Children who experience myopia may not know they have a problem, so it’s important to get their vision tested before school begins.

More on High Myopia

Is myopia genetic?

There is strong evidence that there is a genetic component, but there is also strong evidence that environmental factors like time spent outside come into play.

Can myopia get worse over time?

Myopia can get worse as long as the eye is growing. This worsening of myopia is called myopia progression, and it’s the primary reason it’s important to catch myopia at a young age. The earlier myopia is caught, the sooner your eye doctor can come up with a myopia management plan.

What to Expect At An Eye Exam

What is the difference between correcting and managing myopia?

Correcting myopia simply means addressing the refractive error so that blurry vision is clearer.

Managing myopia may include vision correction, but it’s focused on slowing or preventing progression of existing myopia.

When should someone see an eye doctor for myopia?

Children should begin getting eye exams as early as 6 months of age, with a comprehensive eye exam recommended before they enter school. If you experience blurry vision at any age, it’s important to schedule an eye exam to find out what your options are.

How do astigmatism and myopia differ?

Myopia is typically caused by the eye growing longer than it is supposed to, resulting in blurry distant vision and an increased risk of eye health issues later in life. Astigmatism comes from imperfections in the curvature of either the front surface of the eye (cornea) or the crystalline lens inside the eye. Simply put, your eye's surface is supposed to be round like a basketball, but with astigmatism, it is oval like an American football. While they are two different conditions, it is possible for a patient to have both myopia and astigmatism.

What is high myopia?

High myopia is defined as having a refractive error of -5.00 diopters or more. A person with high myopia experiences significantly more blurring of distance vision than a person with lower levels of myopia.

Can myopia lead to blindness?

Although we used to think of myopia as just nearsightedness, we now know that it is much more. Myopia is a chronic, progressive disease in which the eye grows longer than it should. Over time, this can put strain on the delicate structures of the eye, leading to complications like myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment, and even blindness.

At what age does myopia typically stabilize?

For most individuals, myopia stabilizes in their late teens or early twenties. However, in some cases, the condition can continue to progress into adulthood, especially for those who spend significant amounts of time on near-work activities or digital screens.

Can LASIK cure or treat my myopia?

LASIK may safely correct refractive error in adults and potentially eliminate the need for glasses or contact lenses, however, it does not cure myopia. Myopia candidates who undergo LASIK may still be at risk of sight-threatening complications later in life due to the lengthening of the eye that occurred before LASIK. LASIK is not federally approved for use in children under the age of 18.