Childhood myopia is when the eyeball is overly long (has a long axial length) and is often known as short-sightedness. Consequently, pictures that are far away are focused in front of the retina, and those that are close up are focused on the retina.
Myopia is characterised by increased nearsightedness and worsens with increasing axial length. Unfortunately, it is impossible to stop or reverse the growth of myopia once it has begun.
Myopia is a cause for worry since it raises the likelihood of developing other eye conditions that might lead to blindness later in life, such as:
- Cataracts that develop at a younger age
- Glaucoma or optic neuropathy
- Tears in the retina and retinal detachment
- Maculopathy associated with myopia
Myopia in Childhood: Symptoms
How can I tell whether my child has nearsightedness or farsightedness? Among the most common symptoms are:
- At school, you are unable to see the whiteboard.
- While concentrating on schoolwork, reading, or watching television, squinting.
- Eyes that are constantly being rubbed and/or blinking a lot.
- Eye fatigue.
- An abnormal position of the head.
Myopia in Childhood: Causes and Risk Factors
Myopia in children typically results from:
- Urbanised way of living.
- Lack of participation in outdoor activities.
- Increase the amount of time spent working at close range.
- Genetics (i.e. offspring of myopic parents are more likely to be myopic themselves).
Myopia in Childhood: Evaluation and Diagnosis
In children, the therapy or control of myopia progression is a speciality offered at many clinics. Their offerings include a full examination along with educational and therapeutic services.
At each and every appointment, the physicians examine the following:
- The power of the glasses (refractive error with or without cycloplegic eye drops) and plus or minus eyeball size (axial length) are also considered.
- A progression chart for myopia is constructed, and different treatments and therapy combinations are examined.
After that, the kid will have myopia progression checks anywhere from once every six months to once every year.
Myopia in Childhood: Treatments
Many novel myopia control treatment modalities have been created and are now accessible in Singapore due to the fast-expanding prevalence of paediatric myopia in that country. These new myopia control treatment modalities include the following:
- Environmental: Good eye care practices.
- Eyedrops containing atropine, a pharmaceutical.
- Glasses: Peripheral defocus myopia control glasses.
- Myopia control contact lenses.
Below are some recommended practices for children’s eye health as a means of preventing the development of myopia in young people:
- Outdoor activity should comprise at least half of each day’s schedule.
- Reduce the amount of time spent working at close range and take regular breaks.
- Boost the number of lights indoors.
There is no proof that any nutritional supplements, acupuncture or magnetic therapy, eye exercises or vision therapy, blue filter lenses or pinhole glasses aid in slowing down the advancement of myopia. These treatments are also not supported by eye workouts.
Once a child’s myopia has stabilised (typically in the late teens or early 20s), laser refractive surgery (such as LASIK) can be performed. However, even though this eliminates the need for the individual to wear glasses, it does not reduce the risk of myopia-related complications associated with increased axial length (which remains unchanged), including early onset cataracts, glaucoma, retinal tears/detachments, and myopic macular degeneration.
