When Is the Best Age to Start Myopia Control?

Published on September 1, 2021 ​​​​​​​

Myopia is a visual problem that affects your ability to see faraway objects or images clearly. This occurs when the cornea is too curved, or the eye is elongated and refracts light incorrectly on the eyeball.

The eye undergoes rapid growth during childhood. It slows down in adolescence when physical development slows down. Kids who develop nearsightedness early during 6-8 years have more time ahead for their eyes to grow at a fast rate. In effect, this boosts their myopia progression. In contrast, kids who become myopic later, from 12 years and beyond, will have a slow myopia progression.

An eye doctor will identify whether your child is likely predisposed to myopia. If confirmed, myopia control should be initiated immediately to retard the lengthening of the eye as the child grows.

 Read on for further insight.

 

Routine Eye Examinations

Chances are that your younger child may not be aware of vision conditions like myopia. Changes in their vision may happen even without you noticing it. The burden of responsibility falls with the parent. Take your child for routine comprehensive eye tests.

This may help with early diagnosis and treatment. Because genetic predisposition also causes myopia, an eye doctor may identify whether a child is at a higher risk of being myopic, especially when the parent is also myopic.

The stages of myopia include:

• Mild myopia
• Moderate myopia
• High myopia

After early diagnosis, your eye doctor will advise you on an effective myopia treatment program for your child's healthy eyesight.

Myopia Control Interventions

• Eyeglasses: Myopic children do well with glasses to help them see distant images or objects.
• Contact lenses: Kids can enjoy a wider field of view across all distances when wearing multifocal contact lenses.
• Atropine eye drops: Kids between 8-15 need a single drop in their lower eyelids every day to reduce myopia acceleration.
• Orthokeratology: Worn during nighttime, these bespoke rigid contact lenses reshape and flatten your child's cornea, providing perfect vision throughout the day.

Prevent Future Vision Threatening Diseases

Early myopia control will help your child avoid serious eye problems in the future, including:

• Glaucoma: It is a condition where the eye exerts uncharacteristic high pressure, resulting in a damaged optic nerve. Consequently, it leads to permanent vision loss. Myopic people face a greater threat of developing glaucoma.
• Cataracts: How fast myopia progresses affects the development of cataracts. A child with high myopia is more likely to develop cataracts ahead.
• Macular degeneration: This is an ocular disease arising from the deterioration of the center of the retina called macula. Almost 9% of blindness across the globe is related to macular degeneration.

Schedule Comprehensive Eye Examination Today

Does your child squint when reading or seeing things from a distance? Let's have a look at it together at DAU Family Eye Care. Visit us at our St. Johns, Florida offices, or call us at 904-713-2020 to schedule an appointment for a comprehensive eye test for your kid.