Myopia is blurry long-distance vision, often called “short-sighted’’ or “near-sighted”. A person with myopia can see clearly up close – when reading a book or looking at a phone – but words and objects look fuzzy on a blackboard, on television or when driving. Myopia is a growing problem. In fact, a recent study predicts that myopia will affect vision for nearly half of the global population by 2050. But a pair of glasses aren't the whole story.

The prevalence among Australian 12 year olds has doubled in 6 years. Controlling myopia in children is important because as their eyes grow and their myopia increases, the dependency on glasses increases. This can reduce the ability of children to participate actively in sports and other activities. Increasing myopia can also lead to higher eye disease risks in adulthood. Fortunately, new research is lighting the path to manage and slow down myopia in children. Here are three ways to help:

1. Put the devices away. Data from 145 studies covering 2.1 million participants revealed that increases in myopia are driven principally by lifestyle. Today’s youth spend a lot of time performing near work activities, often on electronic devices. Of course it’s unrealistic to ask children not to use these tools at all, but try to limit them so that there’s more balance in your child’s day.
2. Send children outside. Increased outdoor activity has been shown to retard the onset of myopia by 11-34%. One possible reason for this is because components of sunlight activate vitamin D, which may play a potential role in eye growth. Also, children are usually engaged in more distance-vision activities when they’re outside, which places fewer strenuous near-vision demands on young eyes.
3. Ask our optometrists about ways to manage myopia. Regular glasses and contact lenses can help children see more clearly, but they do not slow down the progression of myopia, which means children may need increasingly stronger prescriptions as they continue to grow. Customised myopia control strategies can provide more effective and efficient treatments to slow down the speed at which myopia develops. Contact our office for an appointment 

Helpful online resources for parent: https://www.mykidsvision.org/en-us