Nearsightedness
Nearsightedness is the most common refractive error. Known as myopia, this condition has an onset in childhood or early adulthood and is caused by an overpowered eye that focuses the visual image in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This results in a defocused and blurred image at the retina. Usually, this results because the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea, is steeper than normal and has increased focusing power. For many though, myopia results from an eye that is longer from front to back rather than from a steep cornea. This differentiation is often critical in determining who is a candidate for laser vision correction.
People with myopia have difficulty seeing far objects clearly without refractive correction. Close objects are more easily seen without additional focusing or correction. Many nearsighted people long for the freedom from glasses and contact lenses for distance and choose laser vision correction.
