Rates of myopia, or nearsightedness, are growing by epic proportions. Today, an estimated 1 in 10 school-aged children, and 1 in 3 adolescents, are nearsighted.
Even more worrying, the World Health Organization predicts that half of the world’s population will be nearsighted by the year 2050!
Parents may wonder what’s at stake for a myopic child. Won’t glasses or contact lenses simply do the trick?
Well, not exactly.
Myopia poses serious risks to a child’s future eye health, with significantly higher risks for serious eye conditions. Fortunately, myopia management can help lower those risks.
If your child is nearsighted or is at risk of becoming myopic due to genetics or lifestyle, read on to learn how the myopia management program at Eye Mechanix can help ward off eye disease in their adult life.
How Does Myopia Affect the Eye?
A healthy eye is spherical in shape, similar to a baseball. A myopic eye is elongated, more like a football.
As myopia progresses, the eye continues to elongate. This process strains the retina and other ocular tissues, making the eye more susceptible to sight-threatening eye diseases like glaucoma, retinal detachment, cataracts and macular degeneration.
Children with moderate-to-high myopia are 50% more likely to develop glaucoma and 17% more likely to need cataract surgery as adults. Moreover, a person with high myopia is about 6 times more likely to develop retinal detachment, a serious eye emergency that can lead to irreversible vision loss.
Why are Myopia Levels Rising?
The recent surge in childhood myopia is multifactorial and complex, with genetics and increased daily screen time playing a significant role.
Research studies have shown that a child with even one myopic parent has a higher chance of developing myopia. That risk is even higher if both parents have myopia.
Plus, the COVID-19 global pandemic taught researchers a lot about eye health and screen time. Many studies have examined the relationship between increased screen time and myopia onset and progression.
The findings have been consistent across the board: children who spend several hours each day staring at a screen are at greater risk of developing myopia. Spending less time outdoors has also been associated with higher levels of myopia.
Playing outdoors in the sunlight appears to lower the risk that a child will develop myopia as well as slow its progression. Additionally, outdoor play gives children an opportunity to focus on distant objects, an important function of healthy visual development.
Is High Myopia Preventable?
And now for the good news: you don’t have to sit back and watch your child’s prescription increase with each school year.
By providing your child with myopia management, you’ll be actively increasing their chances of life-long healthy eyes.
Myopia management treatments are evidence-based methods of significantly slowing down your child’s myopia progression. In some cases, myopia progression can even be stopped completely.
Myopia Management in Lincoln Park
If your child has myopia, call us to learn more about the services we offer to protect their long-term eye health.
During a myopia consultation, we’ll thoroughly assess your child’s vision and eye health to determine the best treatment plan, tailored to your child’s age and specific needs.
To schedule your child’s appointment, call Eye Mechanix in Lincoln Park today!
Frequently Asked Questions with Dr. Randall Ricketts
Q: Are contact lenses safe for children?
A: The FDA has approved the use of certain contact lenses for children as young as 8 years old. We can help you and your child decide if they’re ready for contact lenses, which will depend on several factors.
Q: At what age can a child begin myopia management?
A: Although there is no specific age to start, myopia management is most effective in children below the age of 12. Older children and adolescents can also greatly benefit from myopia management to stabilize their condition. If your child is only slightly myopic, now is the best time to start! Contact us to schedule their myopia consultation.