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Myopia
What is Myopia?
Myopia occurs when the light rays from distant objects are focused in front of the retina. As a result, distant objects appear blurred.
What causes Myopia?
Myopia or short sightedness occurs when the eye is too long. As a result, the image is focused in front of the retina. This causes distant objects to appear blurred, and close objects are clear.
Symptoms of myopia may include:
- Headaches
- Difficulty seeing the board in School
- Squinting
- Eye fatigue/strain
Tips and Tricks in how to Slow down Myopia?
Increase time spent playing outdoors.
Encourage playing outside. It is recommended that Children spend at least 90 minutes each day playing outside in order to decrease the risk of developing myopia.
Hold books /devices further away.
Holding books too close causes the muscles of the eye to have to work harder to focus on what you are viewing. The correct viewing distance for Children to hold near tasks, is the distance from their knuckles to their elbow away, (Harmon Distance).
Take regular breaks from close work tasks/ screen use.
Taking regular visual breaks relaxes the muscles of the eyes, a 10-to-15-minute break every 50 minutes is advised. Looking at an object in the distance, (20 feet away) for 20 seconds every 20 minutes can also help to relax the muscles of the eyes.
Glasses and contact lenses can correct myopia.
It may take a period of adaptation for a child to adjust to their glasses as everything will appear clearer, however smaller also with them. It can take the brain a while to adapt to this smaller image size. Most children adjust quickly, however if your child struggles, use the glasses when they are completing their favourite task and build up the wearing time from there. Reward charts can also be helpful, using age-appropriate rewards.
It is best to use both hands when taking the glasses on and off, as if not, it can cause the frame to become strained over time.
Your child’s glasses may become loose over time, please return periodically if that happens so we can adjust your child’s frame so that they fit correctly. This is particularly important, in order to ensure that your child is looking through the glasses.
When the glasses are not in use the safest place for them is with the lenses facing up in the case.
Regular eye examinations are essential in order to monitor your child’s vision, and also due to the fact that the eye is growing, the strength of glasses required will change over time. Book your next eye examination online today.