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Nearsightedness

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Myopia; Shortsightedness

Prevention:

There is no way to prevent nearsightedness. Reading and watching television do not cause nearsightedness. In the past, dilating eye drops were proposed as treatment to slow development of nearsightedness in children, but they have never been proved effective.

The use of glasses or contact lenses does not affect the normal progression of myopia in the growth years -- they simply focus the light so the nearsighted person can see distant objects clearly.

• Review Date: 11/14/2005
• Reviewed By: Edward B. Feinberg, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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