Complications

Nearsightedness is associated with a variety of complications from mild to severe, such as:

• Reduced quality of life. Uncorrected nearsightedness can affect your quality of life. You might not be able to perform a task as well as you wish. And your limited vision may detract from your enjoyment of day-to-day activities.
• Eyestrain. Uncorrected nearsightedness may cause you to squint or strain your eyes to maintain focus. This can lead to eyestrain and headaches.
• Impaired safety. Your own safety and that of others may be jeopardized if you have an uncorrected vision problem. This could be especially serious if you are driving a car or operating heavy equipment.
• Financial burden. The cost of corrective lenses, eye exams and medical treatments can add up, especially with a chronic condition such as nearsightedness. Vision reduction and vision loss also can affect income potential in some cases.
• Other eye problems. Severe nearsightedness puts you at an increased risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and myopic maculopathy — damage in the central retinal area. The tissues in long eyeballs are stretched and thinned, causing tears, inflammation, new blood vessels that are weak and bleed easily, and scarring.