Myopia

Myopia often progresses while the eyes are still growing, which is why prescriptions can change more frequently during childhood and the teenage years. People who develop myopia at a younger age may have more time for it to progress.

Once eye growth slows, myopia often becomes more stable, although prescriptions can still change in adulthood.

Laser eye surgery can correct some higher myopic prescriptions, but suitability also depends on factors such as corneal thickness, corneal shape and overall eye health.

If laser treatment is not appropriate, other options such as an implantable lens may be considered. You are welcome to submit your prescription for review and our optometrist team can advise on options that may suit you.

High myopia is a more severe form of short-sightedness, typically a prescription of -6.00 dioptres or more. It usually requires stronger vision correction and carries a higher risk of eye health issues.

The best corrective option varies by individual and may include glasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery or an implantable lens.

In most cases myopia can be corrected effectively and does not lead to sight loss. People with high myopia do have a higher risk of developing certain eye conditions over time, which is why regular eye examinations are important.

These check-ups allow your eye health to be monitored and any changes identified early. Having high myopia does not mean that you will lose your sight.

LASIK can correct myopia in many suitable adults by reshaping the cornea so light focuses more accurately on the retina. It can significantly reduce dependence on glasses or contact lenses.

It is more accurate to describe LASIK as correcting myopia rather than curing the underlying anatomy of a short-sighted eye.

Myopia can be corrected very effectively, but cure can be a misleading word. Glasses and contact lenses correct how light focuses while they are being worn, and laser eye surgery can reshape the cornea to correct the refractive error for suitable adults.

Laser treatment does not shorten an elongated eyeball, and natural changes to vision can still occur later in life.

Myopia most commonly begins earlier in life rather than being caused by normal ageing. An existing prescription can still change in adulthood, and certain changes within the eye may cause someone to become more short-sighted later in life.

A new or significant change in prescription in adulthood should be assessed rather than assumed to be a normal consequence of ageing.

Myopia does not normally disappear simply because you get older. It often progresses while the eye is growing and then becomes more stable during early adulthood.

Other age-related changes to the eyes can alter your vision later in life, but these do not mean that the underlying myopia has been cured.

Reading itself does not mean that you will automatically develop myopia. Research has associated prolonged periods of near-focus activity with a greater risk of developing or progressing myopia during childhood, particularly when combined with limited time outdoors.

Reading, studying and using screens are best understood as possible environmental factors rather than a single direct cause.