Skip to main content
Clear
  • Find a store
  • Menu
Specsavers logo
  • My account Sign in
    • Favourites
    • Express re-order
    • Easypay
    • Orders
    • My details
    • Payment methods
    • Sign out
  • Re-order contact lenses
    • Glasses
        • Glasses
        • Type
        • Glasses
        • Sunglasses
        • Designer glasses
        • Non-prescription glasses
        • Guides
        • Lens guide
        • Buyer’s guide
        • Afterpay
        • #LoveGlasses blog
        • FAQs
    • Contact lenses
        • Contact lenses
        • Type
        • Monthly
        • Fortnightly
        • Daily
        • View all
        • Tips for contact lens wearers
        • Buyer's guide
        • Pay with your health fund
        • Subscribe and save
        • Express re-order
    • Eye health
        • Eye health
        • View all FAQs
        • Information
        • Your eye health
        • Eye test information
        • What are your eyes worth?
        • Services
        • Book an eye test
        • Eye care at work
        • Keepsight
    • Offers
    • Health funds
    • Audiology
        • Audiology
        • Our services
        • Why choose Specsavers?
        • Book an appointment
        • What to expect
        • FAQs
        • Products and prices
        • Hearing aids
        • Using and maintaining
        • Buyer's guide
        • Batteries
        • Accessories
        • About hearing
        • Understanding an Audiogram
        • Hearing loss and telltale signs
        • Ear conditions
        • How do hearing aids work?
        • Hearing services program
    • Book appointment
    • Find a store
    • Re-order contact lenses
    • Sign in
    • My account
    • Favourites
    • Sign out
  • Book appointment Book appointment
Type
  • Glasses
  • Sunglasses
  • Designer glasses
  • Non-prescription glasses
Age and gender
  • Women
  • Men
  • Teens
  • Kids
Guides
  • Buyer’s guide
  • Lens guide
  • #LoveGlasses blog
  • Afterpay
  • FAQs
Lens types
  • Single vision
  • Multifocal
  • Bifocal
Buy glasses online
Buy Glasses Online
Did you know you can now enter your prescription and buy online?
Buy now
Type
  • Daily
  • Fortnightly
  • Monthly
  • Multifocal
  • Toric
Brand
  • Acuvue
  • Air Optix
  • Specsavers
  • easyvision
  • View all
Guides
  • Buyer's guide
  • Tips for contact lens wearers
  • Pay with your health fund
  • Subscribe and save
  • FAQs
Specsavers express reorder
Express reorder
Already have an account? Reorder your lenses here
Reorder now
Services
  • Book an eye test
  • Eye care at work
  • Keepsight
Information
  • Your eye health
  • Eye test information
  • Do I need an eye test?
  • Eye conditions
  • Your prescription explained
  • What are your eyes worth?
Help
  • Peripheral distortion
  • Contact lenses storage
  • Anti-glare glasses
  • Experiencing flashing lights
  • Wearing glasses all the time
  • View all FAQs
Specsavers health funds
Health funds
Check out what your health funds cover
Find out more
Our services
  • Why choose Specsavers?
  • What to expect
  • FAQs
  • Book an appointment
Products and prices
  • Hearing aids
  • Batteries
  • Accessories
  • Buyer's guide
  • Using and maintaining
About hearing
  • Hearing loss and telltale signs
  • Ear conditions
  • How do hearing aids work?
  • Hearing services program
  • Understanding an Audiogram
  1. Home

Myopia
(short sight)

Myopia is a very common cause of blurred vision.

Myopia is a very common cause of blurred vision.

Did you know?

Eye tests are bulk billed to Medicare so there are no out of pocket expenses for you *.

Book an appointment

What are the symptoms of myopia?

A person with short sight will be able to see things up close quite clearly, like when they’re reading. But for tasks that require distance vision, like driving or watching TV, their vision is blurred.

It’s common for people without diagnosed myopia to also experience symptoms like headaches or eyestrain when trying to focus on things far away. Or for children, it can lead to other eye problems in early life like a squint or lazy eye.

In some cases, people with more severe myopia are also more likely to experience conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal detachment.

See more eye conditions
Book an appointment
See FAQs

What causes short sight?

Myopia occurs when the eye is effectively too long – so the distance between the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) and the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) is too far. This means that light entering the eye is focused before it reaches the retina, which causes blurred vision.

In some cases, it could be due to the shape of the cornea, or the thickness of the lens inside the eye.

There is a huge amount of research, both past and present into the causes of Myopia. It is currently believed that hereditary factors are the most important. You are far more likely to develop Myopia if one of your parents has it. However the picture of who will or will not develop myopia is far from clear.

What help is available?

Short sight is usually detected quite early in life during a comprehensive eye test, which will test your vision as well as examining your eye in detail.

The good news is that it can easily be corrected with the use of glasses or contact lenses with a minus lens power, like -3.00. This means the lens has a concave shape (curved inwards), which helps to improve your focus.

Adults also have the option of having laser eye surgery to correct their myopia. Your optometrist will be able to help you choose the right option for you.

See more eye conditions Book an appointment
Book an appointment

Why do I need an eye test?

Find out more

Your store visit explained

Find out more

Eye test information

Find out more

*Listed on a valid Medicare card without Optometry restrictions

  • Shop
    • Glasses
    • Sunglasses
    • Designer glasses
    • Contact lenses
    • Hearing aids
    • Offers
    • Student discount
    • #LoveGlasses blog
  • Services
    • Eye tests
    • Hearing tests
    • Corporate eye care
  • Health
    • Your eye health
    • Eye test information
    • Your hearing health
    • Hearing check information
    • FAQs
  • About
    • Customer care
    • Community Program
    • Contact lenses FAQ
    • About Specsavers
    • News
    • Annual review 2018-19
    • Careers
  • © Specsavers 2021
  • Legal policies
  • International sites
  • Sitemap
  • 21.01.0