Shortsightedness: Does it have another name?

Other names for shortsightedness are: myopia and nearsightedness. In many parts of the world, the words myopia, nearsightedness and shortsightedness are used interchangeably. 

Myopia is the medical term for the condition, and the other two are commonly used names.

If you're into etymology (the study of the origin of words), the term myopia comes from Greek word roots that mean "to close the eyes." This is a reference to the primary sign that a person is nearsighted: squinting.

Myopia causes distant objects to look blurry until they are close to the eyes. The main signs and symptoms of myopia include: 

• Having blurry distance vision

• Squinting of the eyes

• Headaches

• Eye strain

People who are shortsighted may have difficulty recognizing faces across a room or reading road signs while driving. 

Children who are becoming shortsighted will have trouble reading the smartboard or whiteboard in their classrooms. They may need to sit near the front of the room to see it clearly. 

People who are shortsighted may also notice problems when playing certain sports. This is especially true if it requires good distance vision. For example, it can be very difficult to squarely hit a cricket ball if it looks blurry until the last moment!

When looking at the eye chart during an eye exam, shortsighted people will have reduced visual acuity. In other words, they can only make out the larger letters near the top of the chart, not the small letters near the bottom. 

Their visual acuity might be recorded as 6/12, 6/19, 6/24 or some other fraction. This is because they are only able to see the small letters at 6 meters, while someone with 6/6 vision can see them all. 

Thankfully, blurry vision from shortsightedness can usually be corrected. Prescription spectacles and contact lenses are very common methods for correcting myopia. 

Refractive surgery like LASIK is also very common. However, refractive surgery is only recommended for adults whose myopia prescription has stabilized.

Shortsightedness usually begins in childhood. Because of this, many shortsighted kids think their blurry vision is normal. This is one reason pediatric eye exams are very important, even if your children aren't complaining of vision problems.

Optometrists recommend pediatric eye exams at 6 months of age, 3 years old, and yearly once children begin school.

Page published on Friday, 28 June 2019

Page updated on Tuesday, 28 March 2023

Medically reviewed on Wednesday, 9 February 2022