What is short sightedness (myopia)?
Short sightedness is a condition in which light from distant objects comes to focus in front of the retina instead of on it, which makes distance vision blurred while close vision stays relatively clear.
- Subject
- Vision problems
- Topic
- Myopia (short sightedness)
- Kind of question
- What is…
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
It usually happens because the eyeball is slightly too long for its focusing power, or because the cornea is too curved. Both cause the same thing: distance blur.
It is one of the most common reasons people need glasses at all, and uncorrected refractive error is one of the largest contributors to avoidable vision impairment worldwide.
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision problems & prescriptions in Myopia (short sightedness) . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
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- Condition Myopia (short sightedness)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- Blindness and vision impairment
The WHO overview of vision impairment, including the conditions that account for most avoidable sight loss worldwide.
Used for Framing uncorrected refractive error as a public health issue rather than a lifestyle one.
Link checked 23 September 2026