The Importance of Myopia Control in Children's Eye Health

Nearsightedness, or myopia, involves blurry vision when looking at distant objects. It occurs due to irregularly shaped corneas, lenses, or eyes that result in light being out of focus when it lands on the retina at the back of the eye. Symptoms of myopia often appear in childhood, so if you are looking for an optometrist near you in Meridian, MS, consider Primary Eyecare & Optical of Meridian. Our team will help identify and treat your family's vision issues.

Who Gets Myopia?

Myopia tends to run in families and is increasingly common in children. The family component points to genetic causes, while its increased prevalence points to environmental factors, such as excessive digital device usage or other near-work activities. We often recognize myopia when school-age children squint, have headaches, or struggle with seeing writing or objects in the classroom. Each symptom suggests that a child should see an eye doctor to address and possibly slow the progress of myopia.

Controlling Myopia

Due to continued advances in optometry, myopia responds well to different treatments appropriate for children and teens, including eyeglasses, contact lenses, behavioral interventions, atropine eye drops, and Ortho-K lenses:

•           Eyeglasses are a valuable treatment for nearly everyone with nearsightedness. However, they can be challenging for children who are concerned about their appearance or who are active in sports or other activities.

•           Contact lenses are another effective treatment, but children may struggle to maintain them safely. Still, children can wear contacts. Their maturity and ability to handle the daily care of contact lenses are more important than their age.

•           Increased outside play and limited screen time are behavioral interventions that can help those whose heavy near-vision activities aggravate their eyes.

•           Your optometrist uses atropine eye drops to dilate the eyes during some vision testing. A diluted form of these eye drops can help slow the progress of nearsightedness.

•           Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, is a non-surgical method of reshaping the corneas by wearing Ortho-K contact lenses while sleeping. Of course, children also need to be mature enough to use these specialized contact lenses.

Contact Primary Eyecare & Optical of Meridian

If you live in or near Meridian and are looking for an optometrist near you, contact Primary Eyecare & Optical of Meridian. Call us today at (601) 485-2020, or use our online form to schedule an appointment.