What Is Myopia?

Managing this eye disorder is one of our top specialties.

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What is myopia (nearsightedness)?

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is when you can see objects up close but can’t see distant objects clearly. It’s an anatomical eye problem where there’s too much of a curve in the cornea or natural lens (the eyeball is too long). What happens is that when the eyes focus light, it ends up in the front of the retina, instead of directly on it, making distant objects blurry.

How is myopia diagnosed?

The easiest way is through a comprehensive eye exam. Book an eye exam and let your doctor know if you’re experiencing any symptoms, like squinting and increased eye strain. Myopia is usually detected with instruments and a refractive errors visual acuity test.

What are the risks of myopia?

Some myopic conditions worsen to high myopia, where prescription and eye length can be much higher. If left untreated, high myopia patients are at an increased risk for:

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Cataracts

Clouding of the eye’s lens

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Retinal detachment

Retinal pulls away from its normal position

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Macular degeneration

Affects central vision; inability to see objects in front of you

What else can I do?

There are also many day-to-day things you can do to help look after your child's vision and slow the progression of myopia

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Get outside

Natural light significantly reduces your child’s risk of developing myopia. We recommend at least two hours of time outdoors daily — with proper sun protection!

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Reduce near work

Encourage your child to spend time away from screens, limiting both the time spent on near work and screen use as much as possible.

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Prescription eyewear

Screens are part of the curriculum now, but they can still strain your child’s eyes. Prescription or vision correction eyewear equipped with blue-light lenses lets your child study with less strain.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule

During near work or screen time, look away every 20 minutes at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds, making 4-5 complete blinks.

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How is Myopia Treated?

There’s no cure for myopia but glasses and contact lens options can correct your vision. The earlier myopia is spotted, the better. But detection is the best kind of medicine. That’s why regular eye exams, early detection and intervention can slow down the progression of myopia.

If your child is diagnosed with myopia at an early age, management will likely continue until they turn 18 (and even into early adulthood). Everyone is different, so the best thing to do is devise a myopia management strategy with your doctors to achieve the strongest potential impact.

Currently, research tells us that with proper eye care and management:

½ of myopes stabilize by 16
¾ of myopes stabilize by 18-23

What current treatment options are available?

After the eye exam and diagnosis, you and your eye doctor will work together to devise a myopia management plan for yourself or your child. Remember that myopic eyes are elongated, which happens because the eye is growing at a faster rate. This means that if it continues to stretch, their vision will worsen over time. A combination of treatments like specialized eye drops, contact lenses, glasses, and in some cases, refractive surgery will help slow this progression: