What Is Nearsighted Vision?

Nearsightedness or myopia is a vision condition in which a person can see objects up close clearly, but distant objects appear blurry. Nearsighted vision most commonly occurs in school-age children and usually progresses until around 20 years of age.

Symptoms

• According to WebMD, the main symptom of myopia is blurred vision when looking at distant objects, such as a television set or a chalkboard. Other symptoms include squinting or frowning when looking far away, frequent headaches, excessive blinking, continual rubbing of the eyes and holding books or objects very close to the face.

Causes

• According to the American Optometric Association website, the exact cause of nearsightedness is unknown, but heredity and visual stress may be primarily responsible. Many people inherit nearsightedness and those who spend a lot of time at the computer, reading or doing close visual work are more likely to develop myopia.

Treatment

• Diagnosed during a routing eye exam, the most common treatments for nearsighted vision are eyeglasses or contact lenses. For severe cases of myopia, surgery is an option. The most common surgery to correct nearsightedness is LASIK surgery, which uses a laser to remove layers from the center of the cornea to flatten the dome shape that shifts the focus of the eye.