Ways to Identify Myopia in My Child
By Dr. Shefali Miglani, Optometrist Myopia Management Specialist Chief Medical Officer, Hoot Myopia Care
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, refers to a common condition wherein people can see nearby things clearly, but things farther away appear blurry.
If you feel like your child has myopia or progressive myopia, you’re more likely to find the best treatment to alleviate the condition. However, before that, you need to understand the common causes and signs of myopia. Here, we’ve discussed them in detail for comprehensive guidance:
Why Does My Child Have Myopia?
The causes of myopia could be environmental as well as genetic. Genetics play a significant role in determining the likelihood of your child who has myopia.
In fact, according to an in-depth study, even if one parent has myopia, there’s a 25% your child will also have myopia. In case both parents have myopia, it goes up to 50%. But hereditary isn’t the only factor leading to the prevalence of myopia in children.
According to in-depth research by the Brien Holden Vision Institute, only 23% of the world’s population was myopic in 2010. However, the number will likely jump to 50% by 2050. The main reason behind the rapid rise in myopia is most likely due to environmental factors.
It highly correlates with the reduced time children spend outdoors nowadays. And the screen dependency kids have with their devices. Increase in the near work has a major impact on myopia in kids.
Experts believe that exposure to light releases a hormone in our body that controls the eye’s growth. A lack of this hormone may cause the eye to grow too fast. This can cause myopia.
The more time children spend indoors, the higher the risk of unhealthy eye development.
What Signs Should You Look Out for?
Here we discuss some of the primary signs and symptoms of myopia that you should look out for:
- Distance vision starts becoming blurry
- Moving closer to the TV
- Holding the tablet or phone too close to their face
- Poor concentration
- Frequent complaints of headaches
- Poor lighting levels
- Squinting or screwing up their eyes
- Reduced performance at school
- Sitting in the front row at school
- Tired eyes
Why is it Necessary to Manage myopia?
According to insightful research, myopia now occurs earlier in life especially with kids. While the early onset of myopia in 1983 was at the age of 11, it now occurs at the age of eight years. Simultaneously, the prevalence of myopia has also increased in the past couple of years. In the early 1970s, only 25% of all Americans had myopia. Today, more than 42% of the population is near-sighted.
Dr. Steven Sheiner, Optometrist practicing in Boca Raton, Florida sums it up nicely, “In this era of technology, kids spend hours every day staring at devices and myopia is spreading quickly. We need to act to help them save their vision for the future.”
Besides this, research shows that;
- Failure to treat myopia and an increase in its intensity can result in severe eye health problems, such as cataracts, retinal tears, glaucoma, and such, in the near future
- As children’s eyes grow, the risk of myopia also increases. A higher dependency on glasses occurs as a result
- Significant dependence on glasses may reduce children’s ability to participate in sports and other activities actively
To Sum it Up
According to insightful research, myopia prevalence was more significant in the younger population, i.e., between 15 and 39 in 2000. However, it’s likely that by 2050 myopia prevalence will spike up across all ages between 15 and 79.
Myopia is a progressive disorder of the eye. Ensure your child is safe from potential future eye health problems by connecting them with an eye doctor.
If you think your child has progressive myopia, see your eye doctor or check out one of our amazing Hoot myopia management specialists near you by clicking this link.
Sources
https://www.childmyopia.com/about-child-myopia/
https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/az-myopia.html
https://optometristparramatta.com.au/is-your-child-at-risk-of-myopia/
https://coopervision.net.au/myopia-management/could-your-child-be-short-sighted-myopic
https://www.momsforvision.com/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-childs-myopia
http://reviewofmm.com/prevalence-of-myopia-and-high-myopia-is-expected-to-rise-in-the-future/
Ways to Identify Myopia in My Child
By Dr. Shefali Miglani, Optometrist Myopia Management Specialist Chief Medical Officer, Hoot Myopia Care
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, refers to a common condition wherein people can see nearby things clearly, but things farther away appear blurry.
If you feel like your child has myopia or progressive myopia, you’re more likely to find the best treatment to alleviate the condition. However, before that, you need to understand the common causes and signs of myopia. Here, we’ve discussed them in detail for comprehensive guidance:
Why Does My Child Have Myopia?
The causes of myopia could be environmental as well as genetic. Genetics play a significant role in determining the likelihood of your child who has myopia.
In fact, according to an in-depth study, even if one parent has myopia, there’s a 25% your child will also have myopia. In case both parents have myopia, it goes up to 50%. But hereditary isn’t the only factor leading to the prevalence of myopia in children.
According to in-depth research by the Brien Holden Vision Institute, only 23% of the world’s population was myopic in 2010. However, the number will likely jump to 50% by 2050. The main reason behind the rapid rise in myopia is most likely due to environmental factors.
It highly correlates with the reduced time children spend outdoors nowadays. And the screen dependency kids have with their devices. Increase in the near work has a major impact on myopia in kids.
Experts believe that exposure to light releases a hormone in our body that controls the eye’s growth. A lack of this hormone may cause the eye to grow too fast. This can cause myopia.
The more time children spend indoors, the higher the risk of unhealthy eye development.
What Signs Should You Look Out for?
Here we discuss some of the primary signs and symptoms of myopia that you should look out for:
- Distance vision starts becoming blurry
- Moving closer to the TV
- Holding the tablet or phone too close to their face
- Poor concentration
- Frequent complaints of headaches
- Poor lighting levels
- Squinting or screwing up their eyes
- Reduced performance at school
- Sitting in the front row at school
- Tired eyes
Why is it Necessary to Manage myopia?
According to insightful research, myopia now occurs earlier in life especially with kids. While the early onset of myopia in 1983 was at the age of 11, it now occurs at the age of eight years. Simultaneously, the prevalence of myopia has also increased in the past couple of years. In the early 1970s, only 25% of all Americans had myopia. Today, more than 42% of the population is near-sighted.
Dr. Steven Sheiner, Optometrist practicing in Boca Raton, Florida sums it up nicely, “In this era of technology, kids spend hours every day staring at devices and myopia is spreading quickly. We need to act to help them save their vision for the future.”
Besides this, research shows that;
- Failure to treat myopia and an increase in its intensity can result in severe eye health problems, such as cataracts, retinal tears, glaucoma, and such, in the near future
- As children’s eyes grow, the risk of myopia also increases. A higher dependency on glasses occurs as a result
- Significant dependence on glasses may reduce children’s ability to participate in sports and other activities actively
To Sum it Up
According to insightful research, myopia prevalence was more significant in the younger population, i.e., between 15 and 39 in 2000. However, it’s likely that by 2050 myopia prevalence will spike up across all ages between 15 and 79.
Myopia is a progressive disorder of the eye. Ensure your child is safe from potential future eye health problems by connecting them with an eye doctor.
If you think your child has progressive myopia, see your eye doctor or check out one of our amazing Hoot myopia management specialists near you by clicking this link.
Sources
https://www.childmyopia.com/about-child-myopia/
https://kidshealth.org/Nemours/en/parents/az-myopia.html
https://optometristparramatta.com.au/is-your-child-at-risk-of-myopia/
https://coopervision.net.au/myopia-management/could-your-child-be-short-sighted-myopic
https://www.momsforvision.com/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-childs-myopia
http://reviewofmm.com/prevalence-of-myopia-and-high-myopia-is-expected-to-rise-in-the-future/
