What Causes Myopia?
The drastic increase in the number of children diagnosed with myopia during the past decade is astonishing — but is it surprising? Not really. When you analyze the causes of myopia, it becomes clear why more and more children are becoming affected by this progressive eye disease.
What Is Myopia?
Myopia, often referred to as nearsightedness, is an eye disease in which the eye elongates more than it should, causing light to be focused in front of the retina instead of on the retina’s surface. Essentially, your child’s eye is growing too long.
Because the eye elongates and grows with the rest of the body, naturally, it stops elongating once the rest of the body stops growing in early adulthood. This also means there may be times in a child’s development where they experience growth spurts—suddenly requiring a higher prescription due to an increase in their myopia.
The hallmark symptom of myopia is blurred distance vision, but it can also cause headaches, eyestrain, and difficulty seeing at night.
What Causes Myopia?
Several factors lead a child to develop myopia, including genetic, environmental, and even socioeconomic status.
Genetics
A child is more likely to be myopic if one of their parents is nearsighted or myopic as well. If both parents are myopic, those chances increase even greater. Be sure to get your child’s vision checked if you or your spouse are myopic.
Excessive ‘Near Work’
More than ever before, kids all over the world are focusing their eyes on near objects for the majority of their day, whether reading a book, using a smartphone, computer, tablet, or another device.
Numerous studies have shown that doing near work, especially in excess (more than 3 hours per day), contributes to the onset and progression of myopia.
Some findings suggest that the intensity and duration of near work are also important factors. For example, reading a captivating novel for 45 minutes straight will impact a child’s eyes more than skimming a magazine a few minutes at a time.
Not Enough Outdoor Time
Spending at least 2-3 hours outdoors has been shown to delay or prevent the onset of myopia in children. Make sure to send your children outside to play every day, especially if they’re at risk of developing myopia!
Other Risk Factors Associated with Myopia
- Height — taller children and adolescents have a higher incidence of myopia than their shorter counterparts
- Education level — There is a higher incidence of myopia in people with advanced degrees, as well as higher parental education levels.
- Ethnicity — Individuals from Asian/Pacific Islander communities are more at risk of developing myopia.
If Your Child Has Myopia, We Can Help!
What many don’t realize is that myopia can seriously affect a child’s future eye health and vision. Having myopia in childhood significantly increases the risk of developing serious eye diseases and conditions like glaucoma, retinal detachment, cataracts, and macular degeneration in adulthood.
The good news is that myopia can be effectively managed to reduce the risk of future eye disease. At Treehouse Eyes, we offer the latest and most effective myopia management treatments to limit the progression of myopia so that your child can live his or her best life.
Check out real stories from satisfied parents and children sharing their experiences with our professional doctors, staff, and myopia treatment protocols at Treehouse Eyes.
Prevent serious, sight-robbing eye diseases by scheduling your child’s myopia consultation today. Contact your local Treehouse Eyes provider today and see your child’s quality of life improve before your eyes!
Having good eyesight helps us out in a multitude of ways. It keeps us safe as we go about our daily life, and it ensures that we can fully participate in all activities that we engage in. As one of our five senses, it’s important to maintain a healthy sense of sight, and good vision is key to your child enjoying a happy, healthy, and meaningful childhood. At Treehouse Eyes, we specialize in non-invasive myopia care and are dedicated to working through treatment programs with you and your child that suit your child’s lifestyle needs. Are you searching for an effective treatment method for your child’s myopia? Read on to find out more about our non-invasive myopia care in Ohio.
Overnight Contact Lenses in Ohio
With overnight contact lenses, all your child has to do is pop them in at night and remove them the next day when they get up. They can then enjoy clear vision throughout the day without needing to use contact lenses. Overnight contact lenses are recommended for active children who do not have the inclination, time, or patience to maintain daytime contact lenses. If you do not think that your child is up to using daytime contact lenses just yet, you can opt for overnight contact lenses first to get them used to contact lenses.
Daytime Soft Contact Lenses in Missouri
For older children who have demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility, daytime soft contact lenses are typically the best choice. If your child has shown that they are able to maintain high levels of hygiene throughout the day and are able to take care of themselves and their possessions, you can start with daytime soft contact lenses.
Choose Treehouse Eyes for Myopia Care for Kids
Let our specialists at Treehouse Eyes help your child to achieve better vision with our non-invasive treatment methods such as personalized contact lenses and prescription eye drops. Our specialists will provide comprehensive assessments and identify the best treatment plan for your child when it comes to their eye care routine. Thanks to our treatment methods that are non-invasive, you can rest assured that the journey for your child to gain improved eyesight will be effective, comfortable, and time-efficient! If you are thinking of getting prescription eye drop, read about our prescription eye drop disclaimer here.
Looking for more information about our myopia care and treatments for kids in Ohio? To find your nearest Treehouse provider or schedule a consultation, simply click here.