You may know myopia by its more common name: nearsightedness. It’s when you can see objects up close, but things farther away look blurry. If your child has myopia, you might notice their prescription changes over time, especially during the school years. Understanding the difference between nearsightedness and farsightedness is the first step in managing your vision.
The progression of myopia is often a combination of genetics, how much time your child spends outdoors, and possibly visual stress from near work. Fortunately, there are effective myopia control treatments to help manage how quickly it changes.
A Quick Look at Nearsightedness and Its Signs
What Is Myopia?
Myopia happens when the shape of your eye causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This can be because the eyeball has grown a bit too long from front to back. As a result, distant objects appear out of focus while close-up objects typically remain clear.
Common Signs of Myopia
Your child might have myopia if they experience:
- Difficulty seeing distant objects clearly, like road signs or a whiteboard
- The need to squint to see better
- Headaches from eye strain
- Tired or fatigued eyes, especially after a long day, which can be a symptom of digital eye strain
Why Your Myopia May Progress
Your Genes and Family History
Myopia often runs in families, so genetics plays a part. If one or both parents are nearsighted, the chances of their child developing it are higher. Your genes can influence how your eyes grow and develop over time.
Visual Stress from Close-Up Work
Spending a lot of time on activities that require close focus may contribute to myopia progression. This includes reading, writing, and using digital screens for extended periods. This kind of visual stress is particularly impactful for children whose eyes are still developing.
Not Enough Time Outdoors
Time spent outside can give the eyes a much-needed break from focusing up close. Research suggests that playing outdoors can help maintain eyesight because natural light and focusing on distant objects may prevent myopia. It’s a simple way to support long-term eye health.
Myopia Progression and Its Risks
When Myopia Usually Stabilizes
For many people, myopia develops during childhood and continues to change throughout the teenage years. The prescription often stabilizes around the age of 20 when the eyes typically stop growing. However, this can vary from person to person.
Can Myopia Worsen in Adults?
While less common, myopia can progress in adults. Regular adult and senior eye exams are a great way to track any changes to your vision at any age.
Associated Eye Health Concerns
When nearsightedness becomes more pronounced, it’s sometimes called high myopia. High myopia can increase the risk for other eye conditions later in life, such as retinal detachments, glaucoma, and cataracts. Managing myopia progression early is a positive step for long-term eye health.
How You Can Manage Myopia Progression
Traditional glasses and contact lenses can be excellent for correcting blurry distance vision. They help you see clearly and comfortably in your day-to-day life. However, they don’t slow down the underlying progression of myopia.
Specialized Myopia Control Options
Today, several methods are designed specifically to help manage myopia progression, particularly in children and teens. These options go beyond just correcting vision; they aim to slow the rate at which nearsightedness worsens. Your optometrist can help you explore myopia control glasses and contacts to determine which approach is suitable for you or your child.
- Specialty contact lenses: These are daily disposable soft contact lenses designed with different zones of focus to slow the elongation of the eye.
- Orthokeratology (ortho-k): These are custom lenses worn overnight to gently reshape the front surface of the eye. You can then see clearly during the day without glasses or contacts.
- Atropine eye drops: Low-dose atropine drops can be used to help slow myopia progression in children.
- Myopia control glasses: These glasses have special lenses that help change how light focuses on the peripheral retina, which may help slow eye growth.
Create a Plan with Your Optometrist in Saskatoon
Every person’s eyes are different, so a personalized plan is important. A thorough eye exam can help determine the right approach for your child’s specific vision needs. Your optometrist in Saskatoon can discuss these myopia control options with you in more detail. At The Eye Studio by Kennedy Eye Clinic, our mission is to help your family see their best, feel their best, and look their best. Regular check-ups allow us to monitor vision and make adjustments to treatment plans as needed. A routine eye exam is the first step to actively managing eye health, and we’d love to help
