Myopia

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Myopia, also called nearsightedness and shortsightedness, visual abnormality in which the resting eye focuses the image of a distant object at a point in front of the retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back and sides of the eye), resulting in a blurred image. Myopic eyes, which are usually longer than normal from front to rear, are somewhat more susceptible to retinal detachment than are normal or farsighted eyes. Severe myopia can be associated with other eye problems as well, most of which affect the retina or the choroid (i.e., pathologic blood vessel growth from the choroid).

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