[1] Contact lenses can provide a relatively wider corrected field of vision, but are associated with an increased risk of infection.

[2][31][32] Risk factors include doing work that involves focusing on close objects, greater time spent indoors, urbanization, and a family history of the condition.

Instead of a simple one-gene locus controlling the onset of myopia, a complex interaction of many mutated proteins acting in concert may be the cause.

[41] A collaboration of all myopia studies worldwide identified 16 new loci for refractive error in individuals of European ancestry, of which 8 were shared with Asians.

The new loci include candidate genes with functions in neurotransmission, ion transport, retinoic acid metabolism, extracellular matrix remodeling and eye development.

[50] Modern humans who spend most of their time indoors, in dimly or fluorescently lit buildings may be at risk of development of myopia.

[50] People, and children especially, who spend more time doing physical exercise and outdoor play, have lower rates of myopia,[51][50][52][53][38] suggesting the increased magnitude and complexity of the visual stimuli encountered during these types of activities decrease myopic progression.

A nationwide study of 1.3 million Israeli adolescents found that individuals with underweight status had higher chances of mild-to-moderate and high myopia compared to those with low-normal BMI.

[60] Similarly, a study involving Korean young adult men reported that those who were of average or shorter height and lean had a higher prevalence of high myopia.

Borish and Duke-Elder classified myopia by these physical causes:[63][64] As with any optical system experiencing a defocus aberration, the effect can be exaggerated or masked by changing the aperture size.

This phenomenon can cause a condition in which an individual has a greater difficulty seeing in low-illumination areas, even though there are no symptoms in bright light, such as daylight.

[67] Under rare conditions, edema of the ciliary body can cause an anterior displacement of the lens, inducing a myopia shift in refractive error.

[102][103] The American Optometric Association's Clinical Practice Guidelines found evidence of effectiveness of bifocal lenses and recommends it as the method for "myopia control".

Corrective lenses for myopia have negative powers because a divergent lens is required to move the far point of focus out to the distance.

Though LASIK is usually painless and involves a short rehabilitation period post-surgery, it can potentially result in flap complications and loss of corneal stability (post-LASIK keratectasia).

While it usually results in good control of the refractive change, it can induce potential serious long-term complications such as glaucoma, cataract and endothelial decompensation.

[115][116][117] Orthokeratology or simply Ortho-K is a temporary corneal reshaping process using rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses.

[122] The Intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS), commonly used in keratoconus treatment now, was originally designed to correct mild to moderate myopia.

[128] The incidence of myopia within sampled population often varies with age, country, sex, race, ethnicity, occupation, environment, and other factors.

[133] A new 2024 study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology reveals that more than one-third of children worldwide were nearsighted in 2023, with this figure projected to rise to nearly 40% by 2050.

[155] Johannes Kepler in his Clarification of Ophthalmic Dioptrics (1604) first demonstrated that myopia was due to the incident light focusing in front of the retina.

[154] In 1632, Vopiscus Fortunatus Plempius examined a myopic eye and confirmed that myopia was due to a lengthening of its axial diameter.

[101] In Taiwan, faced with a staggering rise in the number of young military recruits needing glasses, the schools were told to give students' eyes a 10-minute break after every half-hour of reading; however, the rate of myopia continued to climb.

[158] It is often used to describe a decision that may be beneficial in the present, but detrimental in the future, or a viewpoint that fails to consider anything outside a very narrow and limited range.

Hyperopia, the biological opposite of myopia, may also be used metaphorically for a value system or motivation that exhibits "farsighted" or possibly visionary thinking and behavior; that is, emphasizing long-term interests at the apparent expense of near-term benefit.

[101] Taiwan has developed an aggressive program to identify pre-school-age children with pre-myopia and treat them with atropine, and to have schools send students outdoors every day.

[101] Compared to the cost of lifelong treatment for myopia with glasses, and in some cases, preventable blindness, the US$13 spent on screening young children for pre-myopia is considered a good investment in public health.

[101] Because myopia can be mitigated through lifestyle choices, it is possible that being myopic will become a marker of an impoverished or neglected childhood, with wealthy families ensuring that their children spend enough time outdoors to prevent or at least reduce it, and poor families, who rely on lower-quality childcare arrangements or not having access to a safe outdoor space, being unable to provide the same benefits to their children.

[101] Numerous studies have found correlations between myopia, on the one hand, and intelligence and academic achievement, on the other;[160] it is not clear whether there is a causal relationship.

It is derived from the ancient Greek μύωψ (myōps) 'short-sighted' (man), from μύειν (myein) 'to shut the eyes' and ὤψ (ōps) 'eye, look, sight' (GEN ὠπός (ōpos)).