Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common vision problem, across Canada and around the world. It's estimated that 33% of children in Canada have myopia - and this number is growing fast. Once it starts, myopia progresses quickly and it can't be cured. Fortunately, along with regular comprehensive eye exams, there are steps you can take to slow the progression of myopia in your child and protect their future eyesight. Let's discuss myopia control for children: slowing down nearsightedness.
What is Myopia?
Myopia is the medical term for nearsightedness, which is when you can clearly see objects that are near but have difficulty seeing objects that are farther away. For example, you may be able to read a book but have difficulty reading highway signs until they are a few feet away. Objects in the distance will appear blurry or fuzzy.
Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the protective outer layer of the eye) is too curved, so light that enters your eye won't focus correctly. Images focus in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina, causing blurred vision. This is called a refractive error.
What are some Symptoms of Myopia?
Symptoms of myopia include:
Frequent headaches
Eye strain
Squinting
Eye fatigue while driving, playing sports, or other instances where you're looking at objects more than a few feet away
Close objects appear clear while faraway objects appear blurry or fuzzy
Some additional symptoms to watch for in your child are:
holding objects close to their face
short attention span
declining performance in school
Why is Myopia in Children a Cause for Concern?
Myopia is not life-threatening, but it can have serious effects on your child's future vision. Generally, myopia begins in childhood and progresses rapidly when left unchecked.
It usually stops progressing by the early 20s, which means childhood is a critical time for slowing its progression. Myopia doesn't cause blindness but it can increase the risk of developing eye conditions that can lead to severe vision loss, including:
Myopia is the most common ocular disorder worldwide and is the leading cause of visual impairment in children.
What are Myopia Control Treatment Options for Children?
Fortunately, most cases of myopia begin mild and are manageable with different treatment methods. These are some of the treatments that have proved to be effective in slowing near-sightedness:
Regular Comprehensive Eye Exams
It's hard to stress the importance of scheduling regular eye exams for your child. Many parents don't realize that their child is having vision problems. Even if your child has a vision screening by their pediatrician or at school, they should still see an eye doctor for a thorough exam. Without a comprehensive eye exam, vision problems like myopia can go undiagnosed, leading to more severe eye and vision problems. Myopia in children is best treated early.
If your optometrist suspects myopia in your child, they may use the following treatment options:
Atropine Eye Drops - Low-dose atropine eye drops are one of the most effective ways to control the progression of nearsightedness in children. These drops are typically given at bedtime.
Contact Lenses - Depending on the age of your child, there are a few types of contact lenses used for myopia control. Orthokeratology, or ortho-k lenses, are special contact lenses that are worn overnight. These lenses are used to change the shape of the eye while your child sleeps so vision is clearer during the day. However, the effect is only temporary - if your child stops wearing the lenses the myopia will likely come back. Peripheral defocus contact lenses are a type of multifocal contact lenses that can be worn by children 6-12 years old. They have different areas of focus to sharpen distance vision while they defocus peripheral (side) vision, helping to slow myopia.
Glasses - Lenses are custom made with your prescription using a special myopia control material. These therapeutic lenses are designed to slow the progression of myopia in children by working to slow down the growth and elongation of the eye.
Are there any Lifestyle Tips to help Slow Myopia in Children?
Parents can help slow the progression of myopia in children by encouraging these practical lifestyle habits:
Spend time outdoors - Research shows that playing outside in natural light for 90 minutes a day or more slows the progression of myopia in children. Spending time outdoors encourages your child to focus on distant objects rather than near objects. This allows children's eyes to "take a break."
Limit screen time - Many doctors believe cases of myopia in children are on the rise due to increasing amounts of closeup viewing, particularly screen time. Encourage your children to take frequent breaks from digital devices to reduce the number of hours they spend on a computer, phone, or tablet.
Use good lighting - Working, reading, or doing homework in good lighting reduces the amount of strain on your child's eyes.
Every case of myopia is different and treatment will depend on your child's age and condition. To schedule an eye appointment for your child, contact us today at Prairie Eye Care.
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