Posted by: Dr. Ramsarat in Myopia
Imagine waking up in the morning, and the first thing you must do is wear your eyeglasses. When you develop myopia as a child, this is the most likely scenario when you grow into adulthood. That is the best-case scenario. Myopia in children can result in age-related eye diseases and vision loss earlier. To prevent this, you need to not only manage the condition in children but also control it.
What Is Myopia Control?
There is no cure for myopia. Hence, managing it in children may be more detrimental than helpful. You need to control it and slow down its progression. That is where myopia control comes in and becomes a vital part of its management. It is a group of methods that seeks to slow its progression in children.
Methods Of Myopia Control
These ways seek to slow down how fast it develops or progresses. It includes:
- Orthokeratology.
- Use of multifocal eyeglasses or contact lenses.
- Atropine eye drops.
- Vision therapy.
Studies show that the use of these methods is effective in decreasing myopia progression by about 80 percent. But treatment must start early because myopia worsens in the teenage years. Although it worsens, it stabilizes in adulthood. By then, it may be too late.
Importance Of Myopia Control
Controlling myopia in children protects their eye health. It is the best thing you can do for them for many reasons. Here are some of the ways they will reap the benefits in adulthood.
Lower Prescriptions
Although your child may have to continue wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, their prescription will be lower. Adults who begin receiving myopia management as children without myopia control often end up with higher power.
They will need to immediately reach for their eyeglasses or contact lenses in the morning. They cannot go through life without them. Some cannot remember what it feels like going through daily activities without the aid of eyeglasses or contact lenses. However, myopia control will make your child less dependent on lenses in adulthood. Some may entirely not require the use of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Improving Their Quality Of Life
Some children get to slow down and even stop the elongation of the eyeball through myopia control. These children are not entirely dependent on eyeglasses and contact lenses in adulthood. Myopia control improves the quality of their life. They can cope a little better without them rather than it being a disability. Lower prescriptions mean some can get refractive surgery in adulthood with good visual outcomes.
Less Risk Of Age-Related Eye Conditions
Children who get myopia are likely to have an early onset of age-related eye conditions. These include cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. These diseases can lead to vision loss with age.
Less Risk Of Vision Loss
Some age-related eye diseases progress slowly without warning. They may result in vision loss before one can get treatment. When one gets myopia in childhood, the likelihood they will get vision loss in their early adulthood increases. Myopia control lessens these chances.
For more information on myopia control, visit Dr. Veronica Ramsarat, OD, at our New York, New York office. Call (833) 255-0096 to book an appointment today.
