Can short sightedness be prevented?
It cannot be prevented with certainty. In children, time outdoors is consistently associated with slower development of short sightedness, and treatments exist that aim to slow its progression. In adults, there is nothing established that stops a refractive error from developing.
- Subject
- Vision problems
- Topic
- Myopia (short sightedness)
- Kind of question
- Other questions
- Last reviewed
- 22 September 2026
In more detail
The distinction worth keeping is between slowing and preventing. Slowing progression in a child is a recognised clinical aim with recognised methods; preventing an adult from becoming short sighted is not something any treatment here claims to do.
What this answer depends on
- Age, and whether the eye is still growing
- Family history of short sightedness
- Time spent outdoors and on sustained near work
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Where this answer sits
It is one of 483 answers in the vision and eye health knowledge base, filed under Vision problems & prescriptions in Myopia (short sightedness) . The subject page carries the answers either side of it, and the hub is searchable.
Subjects this question touches
The pages that answer the subject behind the question, rather than the question itself.
- Condition Myopia (short sightedness)
This information is for educational purposes and does not replace an examination by a qualified eye-care professional.
General answers cannot tell you what is happening in your own eyes. Only an examination by a qualified ophthalmologist can do that.
Sources & further reading
We prefer primary sources. Where a claim comes from a manufacturer, a single study or a regulator, it is labelled as such below.
- Eye Health Information
Condition-by-condition eye health information from a US government research institute, written for patients rather than for clinicians.
Used for Plain-language explanations of eye conditions and their symptoms; Healthy vision and screening guidance.
Link checked 23 September 2026
- EyeSmart: eye health information for the public
Patient-facing material from the largest ophthalmology professional body, covering conditions, tests and treatments outside refractive surgery.
Used for Cross-checking patient-facing explanations of non-refractive eye conditions; Describing what tests such as dilation and OCT involve.
Link checked 23 September 2026