A nearsighted person can see near objects clearly, while objects in the distance are blurred. Someone with myopia tends to squint when viewing far away objects. Myopia comes from two Greek words: myein, meaning shut, and ops, meaning eye.

Nearsightedness often develops in the rapidly growing school-aged child or teenager, and progresses during the growth years, requiring frequent changes in glasses or contact lenses. It usually stops progressing as growth is completed.

Nearsightedness affects males and females equally, and those with a family history of nearsightedness are more likely to develop it. Most eyes with nearsightedness are entirely healthy, but a small number of people with myopia develop a form of retinal degeneration.