Quick Action Guide
📞 SCHEDULE EYE EXAM IF:
- • Child complains of blurred distance vision
- • Squinting or blinking frequently
- • Holding objects close to face
- • Trouble seeing the board at school
- • Headaches or eye strain
✅ WHAT TO EXPECT:
- • Myopia is common in school-age children
- • Often runs in families
- • Can be corrected with glasses or contacts
- • Myopia control treatments available to slow progression
What Is Nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness (myopia) is a vision problem that makes it hard to see distant objects clearly. Nearsightedness happens when light that enters the eye focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This creates blurry vision in the distance. It happens more often in school-age kids, especially preteens and teens, and can run in families.
Signs & Symptoms
Common Symptoms
Kids with nearsightedness may:
- • Have blurred vision when looking at things that are not close to them
- • Hold books, toys, or other objects closer to their face than usual
- • Squint their eyes or blink a lot
- • Have trouble reading words on a chalkboard at school
Behavioral Signs
Parents may also notice:
- • Child sits very close to the TV or computer screen
- • Complaints about not being able to see at school
- • Poor performance in sports requiring distance vision
- • Frequent headaches or eye strain
- • Rubbing eyes frequently
What Causes Nearsightedness?
Nearsightedness happens when light that enters the eye focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This can occur if:
- • The eyeball is too long from front to back
- • The cornea is too curved
- • The lens inside the eye is too thick
Genetic Factor
Nearsightedness can run in families. If parents are nearsighted, their children are more likely to be nearsighted as well. The condition is most common in school-age children, especially as they approach their teenage years.
How Is Nearsightedness Diagnosed?
A pediatric eye doctor can tell if your child is nearsighted. They will do an exam that includes:
- • Asking about symptoms
- • Measuring your child's vision
- • Dilating the eyes with drops, which helps the doctor find the right glasses prescription
- • Assessing the health of the eyes
Vision Testing
The doctor will perform various tests including reading an eye chart, checking how well the eyes work together, measuring the refractive error, and checking for any other eye problems. This helps determine the exact prescription needed for glasses or contact lenses.
How Is Nearsightedness Treated?
Corrective Lenses
The eye doctor will prescribe glasses or contact lenses to help your child see clearly:
- • Glasses: The most common treatment for children, providing clear vision and comfort
- • Contact lenses: May be an option for older kids who can handle the responsibility
Myopia Control
Talk with your doctor about myopia control. New treatment options can help slow the progression of myopia in children. This is especially important as high levels of nearsightedness can increase the risk of serious eye problems later in life, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Follow-up Care
Regular eye exams are important to monitor vision changes and ensure the prescription is still correct. Children's eyes change as they grow, so prescriptions may need to be updated. Myopia typically progresses during childhood and teenage years, stabilizing in early adulthood.
How Can Parents Help?
Supporting Your Child
To help take care of your child's eyes:
- • Get eyeglasses (or contact lenses if recommended): Let your child help choose the frames. Plastic frames and polycarbonate lenses are best for young kids.
- • Help with contact lenses: If your child is old enough and the eye doctor thinks contacts are a good choice, help your child follow all instructions on wearing and cleaning them.
- • Go to follow-up visits: Keep all appointments with the eye doctor to ensure proper monitoring.
- • Call the doctor if needed: If your child has new symptoms, including headaches or eye pain, blurry vision when wearing glasses or contacts, seeing flashing lights or floating spots, or any loss of vision.
- • For contact lens wearers: Call the doctor for symptoms such as eye pain or redness, high sensitivity to light, or itchy or dry eyes that don't get better with eye drops.
Encouraging Eye Health
Encourage your child to spend time outdoors playing sports or in natural light, as research suggests this may help slow the progression of myopia. Ensure proper lighting when reading or doing homework, and take regular breaks from close work. Limit screen time and encourage the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will my child's nearsightedness get worse?
A: Myopia typically progresses during childhood and teenage years, especially during growth spurts. The progression usually slows down and stabilizes by early adulthood (around age 20-25). Myopia control treatments are now available to help slow this progression.
Q: Can nearsightedness be prevented?
A: While you can't completely prevent nearsightedness, especially if it runs in your family, encouraging outdoor activities and limiting close-up work may help. Early detection and treatment with myopia control methods can slow progression and reduce the risk of high myopia.
Q: Can exercise or eye exercises fix nearsightedness?
A: No, eye exercises cannot fix nearsightedness. This is a structural issue with how light focuses in the eye. However, glasses or contact lenses can correct the vision, and myopia control treatments can slow progression.
Q: What's the difference between nearsightedness and farsightedness?
A: Nearsightedness (myopia) makes it hard to see faraway objects clearly, while farsightedness (hyperopia) makes it hard to see nearby objects clearly. Both are refractive errors but affect vision in opposite ways.
Q: Should my child wear glasses all the time?
A: This depends on the degree of nearsightedness and your eye doctor's recommendation. Many nearsighted children need to wear glasses full-time to see clearly at distance and to prevent eye strain. Follow your eye doctor's specific guidance for your child.
Q: What is myopia control and is it necessary?
A: Myopia control includes various treatments (special contact lenses, eye drops, or combination treatments) designed to slow the progression of nearsightedness. It's especially important for children who develop myopia at a young age or have rapidly worsening vision, as high myopia increases the risk of serious eye problems later in life.
⚠️ Medical Disclaimer
This article provides general information about nearsightedness and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician or eye care provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Early detection and treatment of vision problems can significantly impact your child's development, learning, and quality of life. Discuss myopia control options with your eye doctor to help slow the progression of nearsightedness.