Understanding Myopia
What is myopia
Myopia means short-sightedness. People with myopia cannot see things clearly in the distance without wearing glasses or contact lenses, but can see things clearly at close range. Myopia is usually caused by the eyeball growing a little longer than it should.
Over the past fifty years, the proportion of people with myopia in the general population has doubled over the last 30 years. Currently, around 15- 20% of young adults in the UK have myopia. Globally, it is even more profound; a large study recently predicted 40% of all children will be myopic by 2050, with very high rates is Asia. The longer the eyeball, the stronger the glasses required to correct distance vision. If a person’s glasses are stronger than -5.00 diopters, this is called high myopia. The higher the degree of myopia, the higher the risk of developing serious eye complications later in life, which can permanently reduce vision.
Understanding Myopia
Learn the essentials of myopia symptoms, causes, and treatment options.
Recognising Symptoms
Myopia can develop in childhood or adulthood, although it tends to stabilise from the early twenties. People with myopia find that things in the distance look blurred. Children who develop myopia often need to sit at the front of the class to see the smartboard, hold books and screens very close and screw up their eyes to see. Children may also develop headaches and eye strain.
Causes of myopia
Myopia develops when the eyeball is too long in comparison to the focusing power of the cornea and lens. This means that light rays are focused at a point in front of the retina rather than directly on its surface. Rarely, the cornea, the lens, or both are too curved, causing the light rays to be out of focus. While myopia often runs in families, research shows that environmental factors also play a significant role in its development and progression, especially in children.
Is myopia genetic?
Although some genes are linked to myopia, the condition is not always inherited and can affect anyone. Nonetheless, people with close family members who suffer from myopia, such as parents or siblings, have a higher risk of also being affected compared with the general population.
Associated conditions
General symptoms of myopia, including blurred long-distance vision, can be corrected with glasses or other forms of treatment. Younger people may also benefit from treatment which prevents the condition from worsening.
High myopia can have more serious complications than general myopia. In these rare cases, the rate at which the eyeball grows in length is faster and can affect vision severely. Pathological high myopia can also cause serious complications such as:
–Myopic macular degeneration
-Retinal detachments
Risk factors for myopia
To much time indoors
Spending long periods inside is one of the most important risk factors for myopia. Children who spend less time outdoors are more likely to develop myopia. Natural light is thought to help regulate healthy eye growth.
Tip: Encourage at least 90 minutes to 2 hours of outdoor time every day, ideally in daylight.
Extended periods of close-up activities — like reading, looking at tablets or smartphones, and schoolwork — can increase the risk of myopia, especially if breaks aren’t taken.
Tip: Follow the 20-20-20 rule — every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.
A major study of 335,000 children and young adults has confirmed that excessive screen time is damaging children’s eyesight:
-Each additional hour of screen time raises a child’s risk of myopia by 21%.
-For children already diagnosed, an extra hour increases the likelihood of worsening vision by 54%.
Four hours per day? That’s linked to 97% higher odds of developing myopia compared to no screen use.
More research is needed to prove a causative link, and it may simply be that screen time results in less time outside.
Experts warn that by 2050, 40% of children & adolescents worldwide could be short-sighted.
Prolonged screen time and close-up work
Extended periods of close-up activities — like reading, looking at tablets or smartphones, and schoolwork — can increase the risk of myopia, especially if breaks aren’t taken.
Tip: Follow the 20-20-20 rule — every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.
A major study of 335,000 children and young adults has confirmed that excessive screen time is damaging children’s eyesight:
-Each additional hour of screen time raises a child’s risk of myopia by 21%.
-For children already diagnosed, an extra hour increases the likelihood of worsening vision by 54%.
Four hours per day? That’s linked to 97% higher odds of developing myopia compared to no screen use.
More research is needed to prove a causative link, and it may simply be that screen time results in less time outside.
Experts warn that by 2050, 40% of children & adolescents worldwide could be short-sighted.
Family history
Children with one or both parents who are short-sighted are more likely to develop myopia. One parent increases the risk by three times, and both parents increase the risk to seven times! However, lifestyle factors can still significantly impact how quickly it progresses.
How is myopia treated?
At all ages, glasses can be used to correct blurred vision. Teenagers and adults may decide to wear contact lenses some of the time, and glasses at other times. Adults can also opt to undergo refractive surgery such as PRK and LASIK.
New treatments may slow down the worsening of myopia in children and teenagers. The following are currently available in the UK:
- Special soft daily disposable contact lenses what may slow down how quickly myopia progresses. These include soft daily disposable lenses (such as MiSight® by CooperVision) They have been shown in clinical studies to reduce the rate of myopia progression by up to 50%. Myopia control contact lenses are safe, effective, and especially suitable for active children or those involved in sports. Your optometrist can help assess whether contact lenses are a good fit for your child’s needs, age, and level of responsibility.
- Special spectacle lenses. Myopia control glasses are specially designed lenses that go beyond standard single-vision lenses. They correct vision clearly, just like ordinary glasses, but they also include specially shaped optical zones that help to manage the way light focuses in the eye. This may help to slow down the eye’s growth, which is the main reason myopia progresses. There are two main types of myopia control lenses currently available:
Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) lenses – e.g. MiYOSMART® by Hoya
Highly Aspherical Lenslets (HAL) lenses – e.g. Stellest® by Essilor
- Hard contact lenses such as orthokeratology or dual-focus lenses, prescribed and dispensed by some optometrists
- low-concentration atropine eye drops. Licensed in both the US and EU, they are currently being reviewed in the UK by NICE and are likely to become licensed in the coming year. Evidence indicates that that eye drops are likely to have the biggest impact on slowing down the progression of myopia.
It is important to remember that even if the myopia progression slows, your child will still be myopic and will need to use spectacles or contact lenses. Cochrane database published a systematic review of the evidence in February 2025 which can be read here: Interventions to slow the progression of short-sightedness in children | Cochrane
All of these forms of myopia management in children and young people require careful monitoring, ideally including six-monthly measurements of the length of the eyeball to ensure that the treatment is working. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will predict how well the myopia is responding to treatment using an evidenced-based validated calculator, and regular axial length measurements.
Can myopia be cured?
There are two aims to treatment: to slow down the worsening of myopia in children and young people, and to correct the optical problem of not seeing clearly in the distance.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for myopia but regular consultations with your eye specialist can ensure that your control and manage the condition as much as is possible. In some people, myopia stabilises with age and the extent of its effects on vision level off and no longer worsen.