Understanding Myopia: Why Short-Sightedness Is Increasing and What You Can Do

Myopia — commonly known as short-sightedness — is a refractive error where distant objects appear blurred while close objects remain clear. It occurs when the eyeball grows slightly too long or the cornea is too steeply curved, causing light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. Myopia currently affects approximately one in three adults in the UK, and global prevalence is rising at an alarming rate.

The World Health Organisation projects that by 2050, approximately half of the world's population — nearly 5 billion people — will be myopic. This dramatic increase is driven primarily by lifestyle factors: increased time spent on near-work activities (reading, screens, studying) and decreased time spent outdoors. Research published in JAMA Ophthalmology has demonstrated that children who spend more time outdoors have a significantly lower risk of developing myopia, likely due to the protective effect of natural daylight on eye growth.

Myopia typically develops during childhood and adolescence, when the eyes are still growing. Mild myopia (up to -3.00 dioptres) causes moderate distance blur but rarely leads to serious complications. However, high myopia (beyond -6.00 dioptres) is associated with increased lifetime risk of sight-threatening conditions including retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and early cataract formation. This is why controlling myopia progression in children and teenagers is increasingly recognised as an important public health priority.

For adults with stable myopia, several surgical options can provide permanent or long-term freedom from glasses and contact lenses. LASIK eye surgery is the most popular treatment for myopia up to approximately -10.00 dioptres, offering rapid visual recovery and excellent results — over 96% of patients achieve 20/20 vision or better. At K Vision Centre, LASIK starts from £1,195 per eye.

For patients with higher prescriptions or thinner corneas that make LASIK less suitable, implantable contact lens (ICL) surgery can correct myopia up to approximately -18.00 dioptres. The ICL is placed inside the eye, providing outstanding optical quality without permanently altering the cornea. ICL surgery at K Vision Centre starts from £2,995 per eye.

If you are aged over 50 and have myopia combined with early lens changes or presbyopia (difficulty with reading vision), refractive lens exchange may be the most practical option. This single procedure corrects your distance myopia, addresses your near vision needs, and eliminates the possibility of future cataract surgery — a three-in-one benefit.

Regardless of whether you choose surgical correction, regular eye examinations remain important for myopic patients. High myopia requires periodic retinal examination to monitor for degenerative changes, and Miss Khanam recommends annual or biennial dilated fundus examinations for patients with prescriptions beyond -6.00 dioptres.

At K Vision Centre, Miss Tina Khanam offers comprehensive myopia management for adults, including LASIK, ICL, and lens replacement surgery. Her thorough pre-operative assessment includes corneal topography, wavefront analysis, and retinal imaging to determine the safest and most effective treatment for your individual prescription and eye anatomy.

Book a consultation at our Harley Street, Spire Gatwick Park, or Spire St Anthony's clinic to discuss your options for permanent myopia correction.