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Short Sightedness2022-03-07T10:16:31+00:00

Short-sightedness (myopia) makes it difficult to focus on objects in the distance

We can correct this common eye problem with the latest vision correction treatments

Short-sightedness (myopia) makes it difficult to focus on objects in the distance

We can correct this common eye problem with the latest vision correction treatments

When might you not be suitable for laser eye surgery?

Dr Ring explains the conditions that he looks for that may affect his treatment recommendation

Fix your short-sightedness and be free from glasses and contacts

Discover more about this condition and how to treat it

Short - sightedness incidence / prevalence

Short-sightedness – also known as myopia or nearsightedness – makes it difficult to focus on objects in the distance. Many people confuse short-sightedness with long-sightedness. Short-sightedness does not affect your close-up vision, but it does affect your ability to see objects further away correctly.

To understand short-sightedness, it first helps to understand how the eye works.

Short-sightedness is a refractive error caused by an imperfection in the eye. The imperfection changes the way your eye focuses the light rays that pass into it. This can happen when:

  • The eyeball is longer than normal
  • The cornea is more curved than normal

If any of these imperfections occur, it changes the eye’s focusing point. This means that light rays focus in front of your retina instead of on it, making objects in the distance look blurry. Close-up objects generally appear clear because the light rays enter your eye at a slight angle, so they focus on your retina properly.

Risk factors for developing myopia are genetic and environmental.
– If your parents are myopic, you have a greater chance of developing myopia.
– Myopia is more likely to develop when you increase near work during critical developmental ages. Spending time outdoors has been found to reduce the development of myopia.

If objects in the distance appear blurry, it could be a sign that you have short-sightedness. Close-up vision is generally unaffected in people with myopia. However, in very severe cases of short-sightedness, close-up vision can also become blurry.

Short-sightedness may make it difficult to recognise faces at a distance, and driving can become more difficult. In children, you can recognise short-sightedness when they have difficulty seeing the blackboard in their classroom or watching television from a distance.

Short-sighted people may also suffer from headaches and tired eyes from over-straining them. Frowning and squinting are also common symptoms of short-sightedness.

We can diagnose short-sightedness with a routine eye exam.

People with short-sightedness generally have good vision aside from the refractive error.

Traditionally, people would tolerate glasses and contact lenses to correct their refractive error. However, those seeking greater freedom and convenience can opt for laser eye surgery.

What are my options to correct visually significant short-sightedness?

You can choose to correct your vision with glasses and contact lenses. However, if you lead an active lifestyle, dislike the way glasses look or find contact lenses an inconvenience, you can permanently correct your vision with vision correction.

Depending on your suitability, you may be a good candidate for laser vision correction, implantable contact lenses or refractive lens exchange.

Will my prescription continue to increase?

Short-sightedness typically increases during the teenage years and early 20s before stabilising.

Is short-sightedness associated with other eye conditions?

High prescriptions (over -6.00D) are associated with an increased incidence of retinal detachments, primary open-angle glaucoma and myopic macular degeneration.

Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts

Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.

Discover if you could be free from glasses and contacts

Everyone deserves a life free from glasses and contacts, but not everyone is suitable. The best way to find out if vision correction is right for you is to book a free laser assessment. You’ll get a clear and honest answer on your suitability and treatment options.

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3 easy steps to free yourself from glasses and contacts

Laser vision correction options can be confusing. We’ve made the journey as straightforward as can be

Get in touch

Not everyone is suitable for laser eye surgery. The first step is to get a clear answer on whether laser eye surgery can help you or not. Give our friendly team a call on 0800 99 2020 or use our easy online calendar to book a free laser assessment.

We’ll meet

At your assessment, we’ll answer your questions and give you a clear and honest recommendation based on your lifestyle. You’ll leave with a  confident understanding of the best eye treatment option for your unique eyes.

Enjoy freedom

After treatment, New Zealanders across the country tell us how surprised they are by how quickly their life changed. They also mention that they wish they had done it years earlier! When people say yes to eye treatment, they say yes to a new life, free from the limitation of glasses and contacts!

Watch the best patient education videos on laser eye surgery in New Zealand

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Additional resources on treating refractive errors

Follow the links below to learn more about treating short-sightedness, long-sightedness and astigmatism from authoritative sources. These links will take you off our website

Nearly 10 million adults found to be severely nearsighted in the united states

A new study estimates that 9.6 million adults in the United States are highly myopic, or severely nearsighted. Of those, nearly 820,000 have a degenerative form of the disease and more than 41,000 suffer a complication called myopic choroidal neovascularization that could cause long-term vision loss, with women at higher risk. Click here to read more.

Short sightedness is the most common refractive error among children and young adults worldwide.

Also called myopia, short sightedness occurs in 30 to 40 percent of adults in the United States and Europe, and in up to 80 percent of the Asian population. The prevalence of myopia has been increasing rapidly in recent decades, and it’s been predicted that by the year 2050, about half of the world’s population will be shortsighted. Click here to read more.

Myopia (also called short sightedness) is the most common cause of impaired vision in people under age 40. In recent years, its prevalence is growing at an alarming rate.

Globally, research suggests that in the year 2000, roughly 25 percent of the world’s population was shortsighted. Click here to read more.

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