Myopia, or nearsightedness, almost always begins in childhood and can progress until the late
teens or early twenties.1 Children diagnosed with moderate to severe myopia are at greater risk for developing more severe eye-health complications and sight-threatening conditions later in life.2
Fortunately, with active management, there are several proven ways to slow and halt
myopia’s progression during childhood to safeguard your child’s vision for a lifetime.
Myopia symptoms in children
Myopia occurs when your child's eyeball is too long from front to back. It can also develop when the cornea is curved too steeply. If this is the case when light enters the eye, the rays fall short of the retina—the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. This results in distant objects becoming blurry. Symptoms of myopia in children include frequent eye rubbing, squinting to see better, complaints of blurry vision, and frequent headaches.3
How myopia impacts your child's day-to-day
Nearsightedness can affect your child's life in many ways. Sometimes, parents don't associate eye problems with difficulty in school. Myopia-related blurry vision can cause poor grades due to difficulty seeing the board and exhaustion from eye strain.1
The same myopia-related difficulties are true for sports. When your child aims for a target, locate a goalpost, or catch a ball, they must see clearly at a distance. Nearsightedness can interfere with your child's ability to succeed on the sports field.1
The attempt to focus on faraway objects and see them with clarity often results in eyestrain. Most parents don't recognize that a child's itchy, burning, tired eyes, blurred vision, neck and shoulder pain, and headaches can be caused by myopia.1
How does myopia affect my child's quality of life?
Myopia isn't just about difficulty seeing faraway objects. Rapidly progressing myopia can increase your child's risk of severe eye problems in the future.2 These include the issues we discuss below.
Retinal detachment
A condition in which a thin layer of tissue (the retina) at the back of the eye pulls away from supportive layers of blood vessels. These blood vessels provide necessary oxygen and nourishment to the eye. The longer retinal detachment goes untreated, the greater risk of permanent vision loss.4
Cataracts
A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of your eye—the clear part of the eye that helps to focus light. Over time, this can make your vision less colourful, blurry, or hazy. Though cataracts affect everyone as they age, they tend to develop sooner in patients with myopia.5
Glaucoma
A condition referring to a group of eye diseases, usually linked to pressure inside the eye, that causes damage to the optic nerve. Symptoms of glaucoma can start so slowly that they may go unnoticed. A comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to diagnose glaucoma.
This condition can cause irreversible vision loss and blindness. Studies show people with
myopia have a two to three times greater risk of developing glaucoma.6
Myopic maculopathy
Myopic macular degeneration is a condition that occurs in patients with severe myopia. The
deterioration of the central portion of the retina causes this. It’s the leading cause of irreversible and severe vision loss.4
Does your child need myopia control?
If your child seems to be experiencing symptoms of myopia, contact a certified eye care professional near you. When nearsighted, your child sees distant objects as blurry and unclear.
When left untreated, the complications associated with myopia and high myopia in children can lead to vision loss and even blindness.2
Take this quiz to find out how likely your age-appropriate child will develop myopia and discover how CooperVision's MiSight® 1 day soft contact lenses can help.
Sources:
1. https://www.eyesofnm.com/2022/05/26/how-myopia-nearsightedness-can-affect-your-childs-life/
2. Sankaridurg P, Tahhan N, Kandel H, et al. IMI Impact of myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021;62(5):2. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.62.5.2
3. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/eyes/Pages/Myopia-Nearsightedness.aspx
4. Chen SJ, et al. Prevalence and associated risk factors of myopic maculopathy in elderly Chinese: the Shihpai eye study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(8):4868-4873.
5. Younan C, et al. Myopia and incident cataract and cataract surgery: the blue mountains eye study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002;43(3625-3632.
6. Chen SJ, et al. High myopia as a risk factor in primary open angle glaucoma. Int J Ophthalmol. 2012; 5(6):750-753.
Indications and Important Safety Information. Rx only. Results may vary.
ATTENTION: Indication: MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control are indicated for the correction of ametropia (myopia and hyperopia) in aphakic and non-aphakic persons with non-diseased eyes in powers from -20.00D to +2.00 diopters. The lenses may be worn by persons who exhibit astigmatism of -2.00 diopters or less that does not interfere with visual acuity. MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control may reduce the rate of myopia progression in children (6-18) and correct ametropia. Reduction of myopia progression was observed in children with wearing time of 12 hours (8-16 hours) per day, 6.4 days (5-7) per week in a clinical study. Permanent myopia control after lens treatment is discontinued is not supported by clinical studies. MiSight (omafilcon A) Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control are indicated for single use daily disposable wear. When prescribed for daily disposable wear, the lens is to be discarded after each removal. Warnings: Problems with contact lenses could result in serious injury to the eye. Do not expose contact lenses to water while wearing them. No overnight wear. Patients should exercise extra care if performing potentially hazardous activities. Adverse events: Including but not limited to infection/inflammation/ulceration/abrasion of the cornea, other parts of the eye or eyelids. Some of these adverse reactions can cause permanent or temporary loss of vision. If you notice any of
the stated adverse reactions in your child, immediately have your child remove the lenses and contact your eye care professional.