Severe myopia is a severe form of near- or short-sightedness that often result in retinal detachments and primary open-angle glaucoma. The most difficult form of this condition, severe myopia or high myopia, is classified with a degree or severity of -6.00 or more. This measurement is in diopters, which measure the strength of optical power of the corrective lens.

The degree of myopia occurring in patients is commonly measured by diopters, which are units of measurement that determine the optical power of a lens or curved mirror. A diopter is equivalent to the reciprocal of the focal length in meters. An ophthalmologist or an optometrist can confirm myopia through an eye examination using an autorefractor or retinoscope, and then a phoropter to determine the prescription lens.

Severe myopia can be permanently corrected with Lasik eye surgery. This procedure takes between five to ten minutes. Mild anesthetics are administered to prevent pain, while eye drops are applied to numb the eye. Once the eye is completely numb, a little tool called a microkeratome is attached to a suction ring placed on the eye. This device has a tiny blade which cuts a thin flap on the corneal surface. The flap is then folded back, exposing the stroma or the layer of tissue beneath. This stroma is searched for debris and then cleaned or dried. Next, the surgeon will mend the damaged corneal tissue with the aid of laser. As a final step, the flap is returned to its original position. An eye patch is typically recommended while the eye is healing. This surgery has been said to be painless, but several patients have complained of various discomforts.

Those with severe myopia may have an increased risk of retinal detachment and glaucoma. The retina may be overly stretched in severely myopic patients, thus retinal detachment is a clear and present danger. Additionally, glaucoma may be evident, resulting in an initial partial loss of eyesight, particularly in the peripheral vision. If untreated, glaucoma may lead to total blindness. Severely myopic individuals may also experience what is known as “floaters”, which are shadow-life forms that appear singly or in groups within the field of vision.

Myopia occurs when an individual has long eyeballs or steep corneas. As a result, collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina. In other words, the image is focused inside the eye rather than on the retina of the back of the eye, as is normal.

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