Myopia, often known as "being short sighted", causes your vision to be blurry in the distance but clearer when looking at things up close. It is a very common condition of the eyes. For most people it can easily be dealt with using contact lenses or glasses, which will make your vision clear and crisp.
Development of myopia
You can develop myopia at any age, however it does have a tendency to develop in childhood or teenage years and it can get worse as you get older. Myopia in young children can get worse as they get older. Myopia can become more stable in adulthood; however there may be episodes where the myopia continues to increase. These episodes can happen at any age and are more common if you have higher levels of myopia. In general the younger you are that myopia begins to develop, the higher the level of myopia you will reach. For some people their myopia reaches a certain level and stays the same for many years.
Your Child's Myopia May Depend on What You Do Now
Some children (and adult) eyes develop myopia and the percentage of people who develop it is increasing sharply. This site is about the science of myopia with the goal of stopping or slowing its progression. Myopia is getting worse around the world, even to the point of being called an epidemic by some. In some parts of Asia, 80% of the girls in high school are myopic. In the United States, myopia has increased 66% in thirty years so that now 42% of people aged 12-54 are myopic. It has become an issue of monumental importance affecting over a billion people around the world and it is getting worse.
