Get the guidance and care needed to protect your child's vision
Myopia or nearsightedness is the leading cause of visual impairment in children worldwide. In the United States alone, close to 14 million children are nearsighted.
What does it mean if my child has myopia?
When a refractive error such as myopia is present, the eye cannot correctly focus the incoming light on the retina. It may happen because the eye is longer than usual from front to back or because the cornea or the lens is excessively curved in relation to the length of the eyeball. Whatever the anatomical cause, the result is that light reflected off viewed objects gets focused before it reaches the retina.
Correcting myopia and managing its progression
In growing children, vision development plays a vital role in their physical, cognitive, and social development. Although a pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses will correct a child's refractive error and offer clear, crisp vision, myopia progression, and its consequences remain important considerations. Progressive myopia increases one's long-term risk for retinal issues, glaucoma, cataracts, and associated vision impairments. For this reason, our office emphasizes the value of myopia management.
The reasons behind myopia's growing number
In addition to a genetic component, research suggests that spending more time indoors and participating in near-focused activities, such as looking at computers and other electronic devices, bears responsibility for myopia's rising rates.
Focusing on myopia management
With myopia management, it's best to be proactive. Beyond offering corrective lenses to give children better vision now, our office provides myopia control treatments and strategies to support ongoing eye health. Our office will discuss all the available options for myopia management, including specialized eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye drops, and lifestyle modifications that can help.
You can count on our office for the needed guidance and care. As skilled and experienced providers of eyecare, our team remains dedicated to protecting the health of your eyes and the quality of your vision.
