Key Takeaways
- Childhood myopia happens when the eye grows too long from front to back.
- The physical shape of the eye cannot be changed after it elongates.
- Children do not naturally outgrow myopia.
- Early intervention helps protect long-term eye health and vision clarity.
- Your eye doctor in Lake Elsinore can recommend specific control methods.
Myopia Can Be Managed
If you notice your child squinting at the whiteboard or moving closer to the television screen to watch their favorite shows, these are both common behaviors that often point to nearsightedness. Many parents at Total Vision Lake Elsinore wonder if there’s a way to turn back the clock on this condition.
Childhood myopia cannot be reversed, but early action can help slow down how fast the condition progresses. Once the eye grows too long, it keeps its new physical shape. However, you do have options to help manage your child’s vision and protect their eye health as they grow.
What Is Childhood Myopia?
Myopia occurs when a child’s eye grows too long from front to back. This causes the eye to focus light incorrectly onto the retina, which causes blurry distance vision. Myopia can’t be reversed, and it tends to get worse as a child grows.
Common symptoms of myopia include:
- Squinting frequently to see distant objects clearly across a room.
- Sitting too close to the television or holding tablets near their face.
- Frequent headaches or complaints of tired eyes.
The Truth About Nearsightedness
The physical length of the eyeball cannot be changed once it grows too long. Instead, myopia control focuses on slowing the rate at which the condition progresses. This helps children enter adulthood with better vision than they’d otherwise have.
Options to Slow Myopia Progression
The main goal of treatment is to keep your child’s vision from getting worse over time. The earlier we act, the better we can protect your child’s vision.
Specialty Contact Lenses
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses are worn while sleeping and gently reshape the eye overnight. This reduces the need for glasses, which is often convenient for active kids or even those who find glasses uncool.
We also offer peripheral defocus contact lenses. In addition to correcting vision, these lenses change how light is focused onto the edges of the eye, which in turn sends a signal to the brain that it should slow its front-to-back growth.
Prescription Eye Drops
Low-dose atropine drops offer another path to manage vision changes. You simply place these drops in your child’s eyes right at bedtime. While your child sleeps, the drops relax the focusing mechanisms inside the eye. Regular use of atropine drops also helps slow myopia down.
Lifestyle Habits for Healthy Eyes & Clear Vision
Daily habits play a large role in how your child sees the world. Outdoor time has been shown to decrease a child’s risk of developing myopia, so encourage 2 hours of outdoor play every day. It also helps to limit screen time as well as other tasks that require near work.
It’s also important to schedule regular children’s eye exams. Our team at Total Vision Lake Elsinore will help you track any vision changes and keep your child seeing clearly. Book your next appointment online today.
