Myopia In Children: Symptoms And Treatments Every Parent Should Know

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is common in adults and children. It is not reversible but can be improved. If you notice symptoms of myopia in your child, there are a few things that you can do to improve the condition or to keep it from worsening, both at home and with a professional.

Some signs may appear that it is time to check your child's vision, which can be easy to miss in young children. If you see the following symptoms regularly, affecting how your child sees or interacts with the world around them, it is time to see someone about their sight. Optometrists do not require a referral, so you can call directly to book an appointment and let them know that it is their first appointment when you do so. They will be able to prepare for making the experience positive, encouraging a lifetime of good eye habits and regular eye care.

Myopia occurs due to the eye shape and the cornea, making it difficult to see things at a distance. However, things that are up close are easy to see and will appear clearly. To discover this, an eye care professional will conduct a few tests, having them look at images or read numbers and letters and look into the eye, where they can see right to the back and see the shape of the eye.

Symptoms that you can look for in your children include squinting to see things clearly, moving closer to televisions, books, and pictures to see them better, being unable to see the board at school, eye strain including tired or sore eyes, and headaches. Depending upon the age of the child, they will either be able to tell you when their eyes or their head are painful and in pain, but many will still be unable to describe what is wrong with their site as they don't know that's any different than how things are supposed to look. For this reason, it is essential to pay attention to behaviours and habits. Rubbing their eyes may be a sign of tired or sore eyes, and signs of headache may include avoidance of lights and noise, which may be necessary for children too young to share their symptoms easily.

A few treatment options are available, with additional options for children over 6 years of age. Both to try and limit the further development in the future and to help adjust the sight during treatment. Without any preventative measures, myopia in children is sure to develop into a more potent form of myopia in adulthood, when it is only able to be treated for symptoms rather than adjusted or slowed in any way. As an adult, the only treatments are glasses to make seeing things at a distance or contact easier. Eye drops ease the strain on the eye and reduce the discomfort. Surgery may sometimes be used to adjust the eye and reduce nearsightedness.

One of the main treatments for children is eye drops and glasses. While glasses do not correct nearsightedness and make it no longer an issue, they make it easier to see things not close up. As children with myopia age, they will continue to need glasses unless they decide to have surgery as adults or corrective treatments are successful.

Contacts are available, as well as specialized contacts that are worn overnight. These overnight options put slight pressure on the cornea and flatten it overnight so that light enters the eye at a different angle in the morning, which may clear peripheral and long-distance vision. This is a temporary solution and needs to be repeated each night. Alternatively, contacts may be worn during the day to alter how the light diffuses in the eye and create clearer vision for distances.

When young children have vision problems, it can be hard to tell because they are used to how they see things and don't know that it isn't how they should see until it is corrected in some way. For this reason, it is essential to look for signs of vision problems, including moving closer to things to see them better, being unable to see the board at school, rubbing eyes when sore, tired eyes, and any symptoms of a headache. Have them seen by a vision professional for an eye exam, where they can test the vision, look into the eye, and see through to the back. Myopia occurs when the eye is shaped in a way that makes it harder to see distances and may also affect the peripheral vision. New eye exams can see the back of the eye and check the shape. If nearsightedness is diagnosed, they may treat it with eye drops, glasses, contacts, and preventative treatments so it doesn't worsen. Adults may also have surgery to correct the condition in some cases, but it is not a solution in all cases. Consult your eye care professional for the best ages for eye exams.