Video: High myopia
High myopia video transcript
A common type of childhood myopia is caused by the length of the eye being a little longer than it should be. As we grow into adulthood, our eyes grow as well. If the eyes continue to grow in length, myopia can develop into severe or “high” myopia.
If a person is nearsighted, their eyeglasses prescription will have a minus sign in front of a number. A higher number means blurrier vision and more severe myopia.
For example, someone with low myopia would have a vision prescription between - 0.25 and -3.00 D, which stands for “diopters.” A diopter is a measurement of lens power. A person with moderate myopia would have a prescription between -3.25 and -5.75 D. High myopia includes any prescription of -6.00 D or higher.
While children may start out with a low myopia prescription, the condition can worsen as they get older. Myopia usually starts to stabilize around age 18-20, though it’s possible for it to progress until later.
People with high myopia are at a higher risk of developing sight-threatening conditions later in life. These can include myopic macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment.
If your child has low or moderate myopia, there are things you can do to keep it from getting worse. These strategies, called myopia control, include options such as wearing special contact lenses or glasses that may help slow down myopia progression.
To learn more about high myopia and how you can help prevent it, visit allaboutvision.com/myopia.
Page published on Thursday, March 17, 2022
Page updated on Friday, April 15, 2022
Medically reviewed on Monday, February 28, 2022
