Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness, causes bluriness of
distance vision. People who have myopia generally have a longer
length eyeball than is required of the eye?s focal system and so the
image is formed in front of the retina causing the image to blur.
Short-sighted people can however see close objects normally but
depending on the amount of myopia, may still require reading
glasses to read at a comfortable reading distance.
How can I tell if I?m short-sighted?
Short-sighted people typically see things in the distance blurry
such as road signs and scoreboards. Night vision may also be a
problem especially with glare from car headlights and streetlights.
Recognising people in the street is also another common problem.
How can I tell if my child is short-sighted?
A complete eye test is the only sure way of determining if your
child?s vision is normal or not. Sitting very close to the TV or holding
books very close to their nose can indicate your child may have
myopia. Squinting their eyes to see things and difficulty reading the
blackboard at school are also common clues.
What causes myopia and is it reversible?
The exact causes of myopia is still unknown but research shows it is
influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Unfortunately,
myopia is not reversible but can be easily correcetd by
glasses, contact lenses and occasionally by laser refractive surgery.
