Does Your Child Have Myopia? Send Them Outside!

myopia management Doctor Name, Helping Young Patients From All Over CITY 1, With Myopia Management

Myopia, more commonly known as nearsightedness, affects millions of adults and children worldwide. The condition occurs when a person’s eyeball is too long, or the cornea or lens has an irregular shape. It is often hereditary, especially if both parents are nearsighted.

So what does myopia really mean? Usually, when someone looks at an image, the eye focuses on the image on the surface of the retina. For someone with myopia, the eye focuses on the image in front of the retina. This is what causes them to see blurry images.

How Serious is Myopia?

Myopia becomes worse over time, most often during childhood and into the adolescent years. If your child’s prescription often changes to a higher number, this can lead to more serious complications. As myopia progresses, there is a higher risk of developing other eye conditions and disorders like cataracts, glaucoma, or retinal detachment. In more severe cases, reduced visual clarity or serious vision loss – even blindness – may occur, which may not be successfully treated by wearing glasses or contacts alone.

That’s why monitoring your child’s condition is so important and why myopia management Doctor Name recommends scheduling an eye exam every year. At The Myopia Management Center At , we’re here to answer your questions and make sure that your child’s myopia is well cared for and under control.

Myopia Management

Fortunately, today there are many methods available to manage the condition, both medical and natural. Often, the best approach is to combine both options for the most successful, long-term results. The earlier this is done, the better off your child will be, especially as they grow into adulthood.

Going Outdoors Is a Natural Treatment, and It’s Free!

Studies show that children who spend a considerable amount of time indoors watching TV or playing video or computer games are at a significantly higher risk for developing myopia.

One reason is the lack of natural light over the long-term can be detrimental to vision. When the eyes are deprived of natural light, they can become more sensitive when suddenly exposed to it. This is similar to when the lights in a room are off and then suddenly turned back on. When that occurs, we feel pain in our eyes.

The obvious solution? Go outside!

Spending Time Outdoors Is Important for Kids with Myopia

Okay, but how does being outside impact nearsightedness?

The sun’s natural ultraviolet (UV) rays contain vitamin D, which, in limited amounts, can be beneficial for our health. Scientists believe that these UV rays have the ability to change the shape of the sclera (the white part of the eye) and the cornea. Additionally, daytime light is brighter than artificial light, such as the kind generated by light bulbs.

When children with nearsightedness spend time outdoors, their risk of having long-term myopia decreases. A recent study was conducted by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science. The study showed that children who spend 1 extra hour outdoors each week had a more than 14% decrease in the risk of developing myopia.

Spending time outdoors and exposure to natural light (within limits) allows the eyes to become more accustomed to natural light. This counteracts the effects of excessive time indoors. As an added benefit, going outside is completely FREE.

Parents can make being outdoors fun by playing sports, having a picnic or barbeque, going on a hike, doing a puzzle, painting, or whatever other activities your family enjoys. Teachers and youth group leaders can organize camping trips, scavenger hunts, fishing, or some other kind of creative project.

Outdoor time should be a priority just as diet, exercise, and avoiding unhealthy habits and risky behaviors are in your child’s life.

Symptoms of Myopia

 

Kids with myopia may compensate for their vision problems by sitting close to a TV or movie screen to see the images better. They might need to sit in front of the classroom in order to see the teacher and the board more clearly.

So if your child is experiencing any of these symptoms or you’ve noticed some of these behaviors, give outdoor time a try.

How We Can Help

Talk to us today about how we can help your child’s nearsightedness. We treat patients from the CITY 1, CITY 2, CITY 3 and CITY 4 areas with myopia control and other vision needs. myopia management Doctor Name and the team of experienced staff at The Myopia Management Center At will customize a treatment plan and answer any questions you may have.

Book an appointment today and let’s get your child on the road to great eye health.