Children’s Eyecare, Myopia

Myopia is more commonly referred to as short-sightedness, or the inability to see objects clearly at a distance. Myopia is on the rise - in its frequency and its severity. It is caused by the eye becoming elongated, causing the image we see to fall in front of the retina. The younger a child develops short sightedness, the quicker it evolves and the stronger it becomes. The reason for its escalation has been linked to two factors:

Children with one or two myopic parents are between 25- 65% more likely to be myopic.

Children who spend more time on activities like reading or using handheld devices instead of spending time outdoors are more likely to become myopic.

 

 

 

 

Apart from thick lenses, there are several eye conditions that can develop in later life, which are more likely to occur if you are very myopic. Glaucoma, retinal tears/detachment/ maculopathy, earlier development of cataract.

Glaucoma

It is well known that high myopia is a rick factor for glaucoma. For each 1.00D (dioptre) increase in myopia, the risk of glaucoma increases by approximately 20%. The risk increases more steeply in high-degree myopia.

Cataracts

Studies have found that those who have had severe myopia that occurs before age 20 are at a higher risk of developing cataracts.. One theory is that the increased eyeball length caused by myopia may make it harder to deliver nutrients to the back of the lenses, increasing the risk of developing cataracts.

 

Retinal tears/ detachment/maculopathy

When the eye is longer the retina, which lines the inside of the eye, thins. It is therefore more prone to tearing when it’s thinner. Retinal tears can lead to vision loss, and large tears can lead to detachment. Myopic maculopathy occurs when the elongation of the eye causes a breakdown in the macula, a region near the center of the retina that handles our detailed vision.

For most people with myopia, these and other serious vision conditions never occur. Regular eye exams, however, are essential to ensure that your eyes remain as healthy as possible and that any potential problems can be treated promptly.

 

So, what can we do about it…

 

Reducing screen time and encouraging more outdoor activities is a natural way to help, but we now can offer lenses/contact lenses to slow eye growth.

 

In addition to an eye test, we measure the length of the eye and gain a more detailed family history, to check individual risk.

Standard single vision lenses correct myopia, creating sharp vision, but they cause light in the periphery to fall behind the retina.

They are not designed to manage eye elongation or myopia progression. Some children’s eyes try to adapt and grow longer, which causes myopia to progress further.

Myopia control spectacle/contact lenses correct myopia while managing eye elongation and therefore can slow myopia progression. With these lenses, light in the periphery is refracted to fall in front of the retina. This can help prevent eye elongation to progress.

All children should have an eye test before going to school as there are many eye conditions which can affect children. The earlier any eye condition is spotted the better it can be managed.