What is myopia, and how does it affect children?

In this article below, Miss Stephanie West, a reputable and experienced consultant ophthalmologist, explains what myopia is, before outlining the causes, risk factors, and treatment options.

What is myopia, and how does it affect children?

Myopia is a medical word for short-sightedness. This means that objects in the distance are blurred, but things close up to you are in focus. If your eye keeps growing, you can become short-sighted. For children who suffer from myopia, school and sport can become difficult, as they will start to notice blurriness in their vision.

What causes myopia in children?

Myopia is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. In the UK, one in four teenagers are now myopic. This is due to the fact that we now spend most of our time doing near-focused activities, such as looking at screens.

What are the risk factors for myopia?

The main risk factors are family history, and not spending enough time outdoors. Looking at screens also increases your chances of suffering from myopia. Myopia worsens in the winter when there is less natural sunlight.

Is myopia a life-long condition once diagnosed?

Once you are myopic, we cannot reverse that. It is important, as a child, to get your eyes checked once a year. The standard treatment for children with myopia is giving them glasses.

Normal glasses, though, doesn’t slow the progression of myopia. There are now some treatment options available, and although these treatments can’t reverse myopia, they can slow down the progression of myopia in children. Special glasses and contact lenses can work very well when it comes to slowing down the progression. Low-dose eye drops can also be very effective.

Are glasses immediately considered for children with myopia?

When we see a small child, and we measure their eyesight, it will depend on what they can see. If they have mild myopia, they may not need glasses immediately. However, if their vision is lower than average, and getting significantly worse over a six-month period, then we would discuss treatment options such as glasses.

To schedule an appointment with Miss Stephanie West, simply visit her Top Doctors profile today.