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Dedicated to parents, patients, and eye care professionals. Here you can find downloadable information about myopia, how to slow its progression and more.

For Parents & Caregivers

For Eye Care Professionals

Frequently Asked Questions

Myopia is an eye disease that causes poor long-distance vision and is also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness.1 2 In myopic eyes, the eyeball is either longer than normal, or the cornea is too curved, both causing some images to be blurry.3

For more information read: Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. What’s the difference?

For more information read: I’m a parent. Why haven’t I heard of myopia?

 

References:

1. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/myopia-faq/what-is-myopia.htm  

2. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/myopia-faq/another-name-for-nearsightedness.htm

3. https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/myopia

Multiple risk factors may contribute to myopia’s development and progression.1 These factors can include:

  • Family history
    • Children with myopic parents have a greater risk of becoming myopic themselves.2
  • Excessive time spent doing close work such as reading or working at a computer
  • Limited exposure to sunlight

References:

1. https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/myopia

2. Jones, et al, IOVS 2007

Myopia is often categorized as mild (> -0.25D to –3.00D), moderate (-3.25D to –6.00D) or high severity (-6.00D or higher), depending on the amount of correction needed. Some children who develop myopia have a continual progression throughout their lives, making them high myopes, meaning they require a lens of -6.00 diopters or more.1 2 People with high myopia have an increased risk of retinal detachment, cataracts, myopic degeneration, and glaucoma.3 4  

For more information read: What are the long-term risks of myopia in children?

 

References:

1. Goss DA, Rainey BB. Relation of Childhood Myopia Progression to Time of Year. J Am Optom Assoc. 1998 Apr;69(4):262-6.

2. https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/myopia

3. https://www.who.int/blindness/causes/MyopiaReportforWeb.pdf

4. Flitcroft, D. (2012). The complex interactions of retinal, optical and environmental factors in myopia aetiology. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research.31(6): 622-660.