I’ve reported before about the concern expressed around the world for the increase in shortsightedness amongst young children.
Myopia, the ‘official’ term for shortsightedness, is usually treated with glasses but if left unchecked or if glasses are not given, it can progress to more serious and irreversible eye conditions. This is why it is so important that children’s vision is regularly tested.
Writing for The Conversation, Flora Hui gives information about myopia and suggests what you can do if you think your child might be shortsighted.
What causes myopia?
Myopia is partly due to genetics. Parents who have myopia—and especially high myopia—are more likely to have children who develop myopia as well.
But environmental factors can also play a role. One culprit is the amount of time we spend looking at screens. As screens have shrunk, we tend to hold them closer. This kind of prolonged focusing at short range has long been associated with developing myopia.
Limiting or reducing screen time may help reduce eye strain and slow myopia’s development. However, for many of us—including children—this can be difficult, given what a huge role screens play in our lives today.
Green time over screen time
Higher rates of myopia may also be linked to children spending less time outside, rather than screens themselves. Studies have shown boosting time outdoors by one to two hours per day may reduce the onset of myopia over a two to three year period.
We are still unsure how this works. It may be that the greater intensity of sunlight—compared to indoor light—promotes the release of dopamine. This crucial molecule can slow eye growth and help prevent myopia developing.
But according to current research, once you have myopia, time outdoors may only have a small effect on how it worsens.
Are there methods to slow progression of myopia?
Research is rapidly developing in myopia control. In addition to glasses, optometrists have a range of tools to slow eye growth and with it, the progression of myopia. Two effective methods mentioned by Flora Hui are:
- orthokeratology (“ortho-K”)uses hard contact lenses to temporarily reshape the eye to improve vision. They are convenient as they are only worn while sleeping. However, parents need to make sure lenses are cleaned and stored properly to reduce the chance of eye infections
- atropine eyedropshave been shown to successfully slow myopia progression. Eyedrops can be simple to administer, have minimal side effects and don’t carry the risk of infection associated with contact lenses.
What are the risks with myopia?
Myopia is easily corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. But if you have “high myopia” (meaning you are severely shortsighted) you have a higher risk of developing other eye conditions across your lifetime, and these could permanently damage your vision.
These conditions include:
- retinal detachment, where the retina tears and peels away from the back of the eye
- glaucoma, where nerve cellsin the retina and optic nerve are progressively damaged and lost
- myopic maculopathy, where the longer eyeball means the macula(part of the retina) is stretched and thinned, and can lead to tissue degeneration, breaks and bleeds.
What can parents and teachers do?
It’s important to diagnose and treat myopia early—especially high myopia—to stop it progressing and lower the risk of permanent damage.
Uncorrected myopia can also affect a child’s ability to learn, simply because they can’t see clearly. Signs a child might need to be tested can include squinting to see into the distance, not being able to read things written on the board in the classroom or moving things such as a screen or book closer to the eyes to see.
Regular eye tests with an optometrist are the best way to understand a child’s eye health and eyesight. Each child is different—an optometrist can help you work out tailored methods to track and manage myopia, if it is diagnosed.
Provided by The Conversation
Image provided by Freepik