Shortsightedness occurs when the eyeball is too long or the corneal curvature is too steep. This causes light rays to focus at a point in front of the retina, rather than directly on its surface. Shortsighted people have difficulty reading objects at a distance, but can see for up-close tasks. Shortsightedness runs in families and usually appears in childhood. This vision problem may stabilize at a certain stage, although sometimes it worsens with age.

Signs and symptoms
People who are shortsighted often complain of headaches, eyestrain, squinting and fatigue when driving, playing sports, or looking at distant.

Treatment
Shortsightedness may be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Depending on your vision problem, you may need to wear your glasses or contact lenses all the time, or only when you need distance vision, like driving, seeing a chalkboard or watching a movie.