Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common genetic eye condition that is frequently discovered during adolescence. People with myopia tend to have little trouble seeing objects up close. However, they often struggle to clearly see objects that are further away, and they instead see these items as distorted or particularly blurry.
Myopia occurs when light enters the pupil and fails to refract as it should, causing blurry or distorted vision. In a healthy eye, light rays come to focus directly on the surface of the retina, but myopia causes them to instead come to focus somewhere in front of the retina.
Several treatment options exist for those experiencing myopia, among them contact lenses, glasses or Lasik eye surgery.