During an eye assessment, an adult client reports difficulty seeing items at the distant range but clear in near vision. What vision does the client have?

Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is a refractive error in which light focuses in front of the retina rather than directly on it, causing distant objects to appear blurry while near objects remain clear. The client's report of difficulty seeing items at a distance but clear vision up close is the classic description of myopia. Scotoma refers to a blind spot or area of diminished vision within the visual field and does not specifically describe difficulty with distance vision. Diplopia means double vision — seeing two images of a single object — regardless of the distance at which the object is viewed; this is caused by misalignment of the eyes or neuromuscular dysfunction, not a refractive error. Presbyopia is an age-related loss of near-focusing ability that typically begins around age 40, causing difficulty with close-up tasks such as reading; it is the opposite of what this 24-year-old client is describing. The client's young age and specific complaint of clear near vision with impaired distance vision point directly to myopia as the correct interpretation. Recognizing these distinctions is essential for accurate nursing assessment and appropriate referral to optometry or ophthalmology for corrective lenses.