- What is short-sightedness?
- Symptoms of short-sightedness
- What causes short-sightedness?
- Is short-sightedness hereditary?
Are you experiencing symptoms or do you have doubts about your vision?
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What is short-sightedness?
When you are short-sighted, it means you can't see distant objects clearly. The further away an object is, the harder it is for you to focus on it. The term short-sightedness refers to seeing objects clearly that are close by. Short-sightedness is also known as myopia and is the opposite of long-sightedness. When you are short-sighted, you have a minus prescription, for example -2.75, and when you are long-sighted, you have a plus prescription, for example +2.75.
Symptoms of short-sightedness
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People who are short-sighted cannot see distant objects clearly. This often becomes apparent while driving, playing sports, or in the classroom.
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In addition to blurry vision, short-sightedness often leads to headaches and tired eyes.
What causes short-sightedness?
Short-sightedness has 2 different causes:
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An overly long eyeball. This means that the distance between the front of the eye (cornea) and the back of the eye (retina) is too great. As a result, light rays converge in front of the retina. Another name for this form of short-sightedness is axial myopia.
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An overly curved cornea or lens. Because light rays are refracted too much, they converge in front of the retina. Another name for this form of short-sightedness is refractive myopia.
Because the focal point of the light rays converges in front of the retina, this leads to blurry vision.
Is short-sightedness hereditary?
Short-sightedness can be hereditary. For example, children of short-sighted parents are often also short-sighted. However, research shows that short-sightedness can be highly dependent on your lifestyle. For instance, frequent and intensive reading or looking at a screen contributes to the development of short-sightedness, especially in young children. Fortunately, there are many vision solutions for people who are short-sighted, such as contact lenses, glasses, or a laser treatment.
We're here for you
Do you also regularly have to squint your eyes to see well from a distance? Then there's a chance you might be short-sighted. Make an appointment at one of our stores for an eye test.
-Checked by optometrist-