Is your child nearsighted?
Is your child squinting a lot?
Do they have trouble seeing?
Feel like you are missing a puzzle piece on why your child is behaving a certain way?
Early management of nearsightedness can help your child now and protect them from future risks.
What is Myopia?
Myopia begins in childhood, but if left untreated, can cause significant problems throughout life. Myopia, or nearsightedness, usually occurs because the eye is elongated, causing light to refract incorrectly and making vision blurry. It usually develops in childhood and adolescence, and is occurring more frequently since children are spending more times on screens and less time outdoors playing in the sunshine. More than 40% of Americans are nearsighted today, up from 25% in 1971. Researchers believe that if left untreated, by 2050 more than 50% of the world will suffer from this correctible vision problem.
When we spend so much time looking up close at screens or near objects, our eyeball physically changes, elongating. This is especially detrimental to children under 12 who are growing faster, causing the problem to get worse and worse, with lifelong consequences. Hear more about myopia and how it can impact children on NPR’s Ted Radio Hour.
The best prevention for myopia is time spent outdoors, away from screens. If a child already has myopia, we can take steps to address it and prevent future problems.
How To Know If Your Child Might Have Myopia
If your child has any of the following or if their teacher has noticed a vision problem, please connect with our office:
- Skipping words or lines while reading
- Blurry vision when looking at distant objects
- Headaches
- Eyestrain
- Persistently squints
- Seems unaware of distant objects
- Blinks excessively
- Rubs their eyes frequently
- Sits close to the television
If left untreated, myopia can cause the following complications according to the Mayo Clinic:
- Poor school experiences: Children with myopia or other vision problems can experience delays in reading or other academic skills, difficulty with social interactions, and poor self-esteem.
- Reduced quality of life: Uncorrected nearsightedness can prevent you from performing daily tasks well or enjoying activities.
- Eyestrain: Uncorrected nearsightedness may cause persistent eyestrain and headaches.
- Impaired safety: Your safety and the safety of others may be jeopardized if you have an uncorrected vision problem. This could be especially serious if you are driving a car or operating heavy equipment.
- Other eye problems: Severe nearsightedness puts you at an increased risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and other serious eye conditions.
Help Your Child Reach Their Potential With Brighter Outlook Vision
The problems high myopia can cause are preventable. At Brighter Outlook Vision, we use a holistic approach to vision care. Unlike the usual eye exam, we test the entire visual system to check that it has the developmental maturity, strength, and stamina to function optimally throughout the visual tasks performed on a daily basis.
Once we identify any vulnerable areas in the vision process that could interfere with reading, learning, and life, we develop an individualized program of care designed to improve under-performing visual functions and retrain the brain to interpret visual input more accurately and efficiently. This may include corrective lenses, vision therapy, or combination methods.
Contact Brighter Outlook Vision today to schedule an evaluation, or visit us with your concerns regarding your child’s vision, and we’ll be sure to find the best way to treat their visual problems.
