Myopia, otherwise known as short-sightedness, is a common eye condition that causes objects in the distance to appear blurred while close objects are often seen clearly.
Myopia occurs when the eye has too much focusing power, either due to the eye being too long or the cornea being more curved than usual making the eye too strong. As a result, when someone with short-sightedness tries to look at distant objects, the rays of light are focused in front of the retina, rather than directly onto it, causing the appearance of those objects to become blurred.
Nearsightedness is the most common vision problem. Currently, about 1.5 billion people worldwide (nearly a quarter of the global population) are nearsighted. Myopia is especially prevalent in East Asia, where 70 to 80 percent of the residents of some countries are affected.
And the rate of myopia worldwide is increasing rapidly. It’s estimated that by the year 2050, roughly half of the world population will be nearsighted.
Researchers aren’t sure why myopia is becoming so common, but many eye doctors attribute it to eye fatigue from close-up work including reading, studying, using computers and portable electronic devices (including tablets and smartphones) and reduced time spent outdoors.
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