Myopia Management for Children
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is on the rise. By 2050, it’s expected that half the world’s population will be short-sighted.
What is Myopia?
Myopia means distant objects look blurry while close-up things are clear. It usually starts in childhood and tends to get worse as children grow, because the eye grows too long.
Signs your child might be short-sighted include squinting, sitting close to the TV, or struggling to read the board at school. The best way to know for sure is a children’s eye test, which is free on the NHS in Scotland.
Why does it matter?
The more short-sighted someone becomes, the higher their risk of eye disease later in life, including glaucoma, retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy and posterior subcapsular cataract.
People with a prescription over -3.00 are 3 times more likely to develop posterior subcapsular cataract and glaucoma, and 9 times more likely to develop retinal detachment and myopic macular degeneration.
Once a prescription goes over -6.00, the risk rises to 21 times for retinal detachment and 40 times for myopic maculopathy.
That’s why slowing myopia down early can make a real difference to your child’s eye health in the future.
How we assess your child
At Jones Eyecare, we have specialist equipment to fully assess your child’s risk of becoming short-sighted. We can tell whether their myopia is caused by the eye growing too long (axial length) or by refractive changes, and whether myopia management is right for them.
Every assessment is carried out by Lindsey Jones, so you and your child will see the same optometrist at every visit.
Myopia management options
There are 3 options for slowing down myopia in children:
Spectacles, such as Hoya MiYOSMART lenses
Soft contact lenses, such as CooperVision MiSight 1-day disposables
Ortho-K, a rigid lens worn overnight that corrects short-sightedness so your child is free from glasses and contact lenses during the day
Book a myopia assessment
If you’d like to find out whether myopia management is suitable for your child, book online or get in touch with the practice.
