Myopia
Home >Myopia
WHAT IS MYOPIA?
Myopia (“near-sightedness”) is a condition in which the front parts of the eye focus the incoming light rays that are coming from a distance to a point that is in front of the retina
FAQs about Myopia
1
WHY DOES MYOPIA GET WORSE WITH TIME?
There are many things that can cause a child’s eye to become more or less nearsighted, including the amount of nearsightedness that each parent has, the time spent doing work close up and the amount of outdoor light exposure.
2
WHAT EYE PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR WITH HIGH MYOPIA?
Persons with high myopia have a higher chance of retinal holes, tears, and retinal detachment. Other possible eye problems include abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the retina, high eye pressure (glaucoma) and changes in the gel (vitreous) that fills the eye. These eye problems can cause permanent vision loss.
3
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES MY CHILD WILL DEVELOP MYOPIA?
There is a strong genetic link to myopia, so if either parent is nearsighted, the child is more likely to become nearsighted.
4
CAN MY CHILD DO ANYTHING TO SLOW DOWN MYOPIA?
- Large amounts of time spent working at near focusing on things less than 1 foot has been shown to make myopia worse. Reducing screen time helps.
- Outdoor sunlight exposure has been shown to delay the start of nearsightedness in kids, so encouraging at least an hour of outdoor sunlight exposure per day is a good practice.
5
WHAT TREATMENTS ARE THERE THAT SLOW MYOPIA?
- The glasses that help slow myopia change how the light is bent so the growth controlling cells receive a more focused image and don’t push the eye to grow longer or become more nearsighted.
- Eye drops called low dose atropine have also been shown to help keep nearsightedness from getting much worse.
6
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE MY CHILD’S MYOPIA CHECKED?
A yearly eye exam is recommended to check on myopia. If treatment to slow the rate of the nearsighted is started, the child may need to be seen multiple times a year and may need extra testing to help understand if the treatment is working.