Degenerative myopia is a severe form of nearsightedness that damages the retina. The retina is what lets you ‘capture’ images in order to send them to your brain.
This is important as an eye doctor can check for retinal damage during an eye exam. Your doctor will widen (dilate) your eyes in order to see your retinas.
Both types of myopia result in your eyeball being stretched, but degenerative myopia means there is damage to the tissues in the eye. Tissue damage does increase the possibility of sight loss.
Degenerative myopia can lead to macula issues. This condition often starts at birth but often starts during the pre-teen years.