Published on October 1, 2019 ​​​​​​​

Your child’s sight is crucial for many reasons. Not only will he rely on his vision to perform the most basic day to day tasks, but he will also need good, clear eyesight to help him stay safe in the big wide world. We rely on our vision to reinforce our other senses and your child is no different. For example, when learning to touch potentially items or crossing a busy road. Your child also needs excellent vision to be able to succeed in most school environments. Reading, writing, drawing, computer work and more are all highly visual. In fact, it is estimated that in the average school, as much as 80% of learning is done through visual tasks.

Unfortunately, visual problems are on the rise amongst young people, and in particular, myopia. Also known as short or nearsightedness, myopia is characterized by the ability to see objects close by clearly, but objects that are further away seem blurred. As you can imagine, myopia can make school tasks such as reading the board, watching films and participating in other distance-based activities much more challenging. For many children, particularly those that are still fairly young, they may not even realize that their distance vision isn’t as clear as it could be. In such cases, it is down to the adults around your child – both family and school staff – to detect signs that he might be struggling with his vision.

Signs of visual problems in children

• Short attention span

• Frequent eye rubbing or blinking

• Frequent headaches

• Complains of tired, aching eyes

• Tilting the head to one side when reading or concentrating

• Losing their place easily when reading

• Covering one eye

• Difficulty in remembering what they have read

Many of these symptoms share similarities with other common learning disabilities including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. Therefore, it is imperative to obtain an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.

Myopia and declining vision

For some children with myopia, a continual progression of their myopia is a very real possibility. This can mean a declining vision that requires your child to have increasing use of progressively stronger prescription lenses, either in glasses or contact lenses. There are also a number of long-term risks associated with myopia progression, including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachment – all of which can have permanent consequences for your vision.

You want your child to enjoy healthy eyes that function well and give him the best possible vision. For a young person with myopia, one of the best ways to achieve this is to invest in a myopia management solution and make positive improvements to the way your child cares for his eyes. For example, cutting back on the amount of time he spends looking at screens, eating a healthy, balanced diet and wearing sunglasses when outside.

What is myopia management?

Myopia management, also known as myopia control, is a form of treatment that has been shown to be successful in stopping declining vision and reducing the risk of myopia-related complications and conditions in the future.

The most common and arguably the most effective form of myopia control is orthokeratology or ortho k for short. This treatment involves your child wearing special contact lenses overnight that reshape the cornea whilst he sleeps. These contact lenses are custom-designed specifically for your child’s needs and created from gas-permeable material so that they are comfortable and safe to be worn overnight. They temporarily reshape the cornea so that the next morning, his vision is improved. After using ortho k lenses consistently for a number of nights, many children are able to see clearly for up to 24 hours without the need for glasses or contact lenses. However, since the treatment is entirely reversible, consistent use is necessary to maintain results.

If you would like more advice and support in helping to stop your child’s declining vision, please get in contact with our experienced family eye care experts who will be happy to offer their assistance.