Is it normal that my prescription changed at 27?

Small, slow change is common in heavy-screen years. The exam distinguishes ordinary drift from the patterns that need imaging.

Can adults use Ortho-K?

Yes — adults who’d rather skip daytime lenses use it routinely; it’s non-surgical and reversible, and candidacy is a mapping question.

Could my “worsening myopia” be something else?

Occasionally — early corneal shape change can masquerade as a stubborn prescription. One topography scan settles it.

Does myopia get worse with age?

Usually not by much once you are an adult. Nearsightedness tends to worsen through childhood, typically until about age 20, and then may stabilize. Some adults still drift slowly through their twenties, which a yearly exam keeps track of, and myopia can also develop in adults from visual stress or health conditions such as diabetes. A fast change, or one much larger in one eye, calls for corneal maps (scans of the cornea's shape) right away.

How can adults fix myopia?

Glasses and contact lenses correct it, and once the prescription is stable some adults choose refractive surgery. Laser procedures such as LASIK and PRK reshape the cornea, and for very high prescriptions or thin corneas a lens implant can be placed in front of the natural lens or replace it (clear lens extraction, also called refractive lens exchange). Ortho-K, rigid lenses worn overnight that temporarily flatten the cornea, is a non-surgical option for lens-free days. If you are considering surgery, the candidacy work-up starts here, and the procedure is co-managed with your surgeon.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD Last reviewed October 24, 2026

Adult Myopia, Still Moving

Grown-ups drift too — the question is why.

Most myopia settles as growth ends, but plenty of adults watch the number creep through their twenties — study years, screen careers, long nights. Usually it’s benign drift. Sometimes it isn’t. The difference is measurable, and worth measuring.

Book appointmentOr call 310-828-2010 Accepted insurance

A late-night desk, glasses beside the keyboard

Common: Small drift through the 20s
Suspicious: Fast change, new astigmatism
Rule out: Corneal causes — maps decide
Options: Precise Rx, Ortho-K, surgery co-mgmt

Sorting it

Benign drift vs. the changes that need maps.

The ordinary story: Heavy near work through college and early careers often nudges prescriptions along; changes are small, symmetric and slow. Accurate correction and sensible habits manage them.
The flag-raisers: Rapid jumps, rising astigmatism that never feels crisp, ghosting with one eye covered: these are corneal-shape questions, not workload questions, and they get topography the same week.
Why the maps matter: Conditions like keratoconus prefer young adults, and the earlier they’re caught the more options stay open, including cross-linking while there’s progression to stop.
Adult choices: Stable adult myopes choose between precise spectacles and contacts, Ortho-K for lens-free days, or a surgical consult we co-manage (LASIK, ICL and friends), measured honestly first.

The rule

Adult prescriptions may drift. They shouldn’t sprint.

A yearly exam catches the pace
Fast or lopsided change earns corneal maps immediately
Ghosting or doubling in one eye — read this
Considering surgery? The work-up starts here

Book an adult myopia check

Common questions

Adult myopia, answered.

Anything else, call the office at 310-828-2010.

Small, slow change is common in heavy-screen years. The exam distinguishes ordinary drift from the patterns that need imaging.
Yes — adults who’d rather skip daytime lenses use it routinely; it’s non-surgical and reversible, and candidacy is a mapping question.
Occasionally — early corneal shape change can masquerade as a stubborn prescription. One topography scan settles it.
Usually not by much once you are an adult. Nearsightedness tends to worsen through childhood, typically until about age 20, and then may stabilize. Some adults still drift slowly through their twenties, which a yearly exam keeps track of, and myopia can also develop in adults from visual stress or health conditions such as diabetes. A fast change, or one much larger in one eye, calls for corneal maps (scans of the cornea's shape) right away.
Glasses and contact lenses correct it, and once the prescription is stable some adults choose refractive surgery. Laser procedures such as LASIK and PRK reshape the cornea, and for very high prescriptions or thin corneas a lens implant can be placed in front of the natural lens or replace it (clear lens extraction, also called refractive lens exchange). Ortho-K, rigid lenses worn overnight that temporarily flatten the cornea, is a non-surgical option for lens-free days. If you are considering surgery, the candidacy work-up starts here, and the procedure is co-managed with your surgeon.

Adult myopia near you

12222 Wilshire Blvd, on the Santa Monica border.

West Los Angeles Brentwood Santa Monica Westwood Beverly Hills Culver City Pacific Palisades West Hollywood Marina del Rey Newport Beach

Also consider

Next step

Number creeping and patience shrinking?

One visit with a Los Angeles optometrist measures the pace and the shape — then the plan is facts, not worry.

Book a check Or call 310-828-2010