Myopia (Short Sightedness)

Myopia, commonly called shortsightedness, is a condition in which light is focused in front of the retina, resulting in blurred vision. Shortsighted people can often see reasonably clear at short distances, but will not be able to see distant objects clearly. There is currently no cure for myopia, but spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery can all provide good distance vision for people with myopia.
Shortsighted people find it hard to read road signs and scoreboards and to play ball games. Recognising people in the distance may be a problem for many shortsighted people.
It is a very common condition with about 15 per cent of the Australian population shortsighted. Usually myopia begins to develop in teenage years.