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Myopia

Treatments for Myopia

What is myopia?

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness or near-sightedness, is a common condition in which light is focused in the front of the retina, causing blurred distance vision.

Myopia typically starts during childhood and progresses until a child stops growing. They can often see quite well at short distances, but have difficulty seeing distant objects clearly.

Myopia in children

Myopia is the second most commonly reported long-term health condition in young Australians, yet 31% of Australian children aged 17 years and below have never been to an optometrist to have an eye exam.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, by 2050, 55% of the population will be myopic.

Myopia is progressive. It begins mild, but progresses in severity to moderate or high myopia. The earlier myopia starts, the greater the chance of a child developing high myopia.

Because it is progressive, it is key to take action as early as possible to slow myopia progression. This means optometrists, health care professionals, educators and parents need to have conversations and exchange of information about myopia to ensure children are given the adequate and timely care they need.

Ortho-K

MiYOSmart

MiSight® 1 day

Warning signs of myopia

There are 3 S’s to look out for in children:

Sitting closer to the front of the class in order to see the board.
Squinting when having to see further away.
Schoolwork performance is declining.

Other possible behaviours to note is if your child has difficulty reading road signs or seeing distant objects well. They may exhibit unexplained changes in behaviours at school. Some may shy away from activities. Others develop skills to cope which can make it difficult to spot if they have visual difficulties e.g. copying another student’s work, or having good audio memories to manage not being able to see well.

Eye Exams

Myopia is not a condition that can correct itself. It requires careful management and doing so early can help slow its progression.

If you suspect your child may have vision difficulties, it is recommended you take your child for an eye examination with an optometrist. The earlier this is done, the better the chances of spotting an issue that could lead to serious eye health problems in the future. If your child is hesitant about going for an eye test, read this article Talking about eye tests with children.

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