Myopia

If you have trouble seeing things in the distance or you find yourself squinting at road signs while driving, you may have myopia. Also called nearsightedness, myopia is a prevalent eye condition among adults and children that can cause objects in the distance to appear blurred, while objects up-close can be seen clearly. This often happens when eye growth is rapid, or the eye becomes too long. It can also occur if your eye's cornea is more curbed than usual, making the eye focus harder than it should. When someone with myopia tries to read a sign in the distance, the rays of light are focused in front of the eye's retina, instead of directly onto it. This causes your vision to become unclear and blurry.

There are a couple different causes of myopia or nearsightedness. In most cases of myopia, the eye's structure is the main cause of the eye condition. Essentially, the eyeball is too long, or the cornea (this is the protective layer of your eye) is too curved. When the cornea is in this state, the light that enters the eye won't focus properly. Rather than having images focus directly on your eye's retina, images focus in front of the retina. This causes blurry vision and eye strain.

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is an eye condition that often begins in childhood. If your eye doctor diagnoses your son or daughter with myopia, it means that your child can see things close-up but has trouble seeing things that are farther away. While you may be worried to know that your child is nearsighted, it's important to understand that 20% of children suffer from myopia and other refractive errors, according to the Boston Children's Hospital. In fact, it is the most common refractive eye error seen in children.

Myopia can have a tremendous impact on your child's ability to learn in school. Most children with myopia have trouble seeing distant objects. This can lead to serious eye fatigue, as your child strains his or her eyes to see the chalkboard and teaching materials across the classroom. As your child struggles to focus on objects in the distance, he or she may find it challenging to keep up with lessons and the information being presented. Vision plays a critical role in the classroom, and for your child to be successful, he or she will need to see the learning materials to digest information and participate in classroom activities. If you're concerned your child may be nearsighted, visit your local MyEyeDr.