Myopia

What is myopia?

Myopia means nearsighted. Many people have myopia. They can usually see better when they wear glasses.

What causes myopia?

People who have myopia were born with eyes that are longer than fully-sighted people's eyes. The light comes in the pupil. It focuses before the back of the eye. Glasses can change the light so that it focuses at the back of the eye.

What kind of vision do people have who have myopia?

People who have myopia see best when things are close. When things are far away, they look very blurry.

What will help you if you have myopia?

1. Wear glasses if they help you see better.
2. Make things look bigger. The easy way to make things look bigger is to move them close to you or move yourself close to them. Use a bookstand to hold your book so that you can sit up to look at it up close. Maybe a magnifier will help you see things close to you. You can make print and pictures bigger on the computer or with a copy machine.
3. A monocular telescope may help you see signs outside and the board in class. You can use it to see animals in the zoo and things in a museum as well.
4. Bright light may help you see better.
5. If you can only read really big print, you may want to learn braille.
6. If you bump into things and trip on things, you may want to learn to use a white cane.
   

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