MYOPIA MANAGEMENT
MYOPIA IS ACTUALLY A GLOBAL PANDEMIC!
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a condition that many people are familiar with. It causes distant objects to appear blurry while closer objects are clearer. For instance, your child may have difficulty seeing the smart board in class and may have been moved to the front of the classroom.
For many years, having myopia was considered normal, but research suggests that it can pose a significant risk to a child's long-term eye health and vision. Therefore, it is essential to manage myopia and prevent it from progressing to more severe conditions that may cause vision loss.
WHAT IS MYOPIA?
Myopia is not just a condition that causes blurry vision. It occurs when the eyeball elongates too much from front to back, causing light entering the eye to focus in front of the retina. The growth of the eyeball starts during childhood, and we often see a significant increase as children enter their first decade of life and approach their late teenage years.
Myopia can be classified into various types based on their severity - low, moderate, high, progressive, or pathologic. Unfortunately, the prevalence and incidence of all forms of myopia are increasing.
MYOPIA EPIDEMIC & PANDEMIC
The prevalence of myopia is not only increasing in certain regions of the world, but globally, at an alarming rate. Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant increase in myopia rates, with studies estimating that approximately 40% of the global population currently experiences myopia.
Based on current patterns, the World Health Organization projects that by 2050, almost half of the world's population, a staggering 5 billion people, could be affected by myopia.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Many people are not aware that myopia can be a dangerous condition. Several studies have shown strong evidence that myopia significantly increases the risk of ocular complications that may cause vision loss as children grow into adulthood. These complications include earlier onset of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic maculopathy.
Of all these complications, myopic maculopathy can arguably be the most harmful. This is because the continuous elongation of the eye leads to excessive stretching of the retina, resulting in thinning and increased fragility of the tissue. In fact, research has shown myopia to be the second leading cause of blindness globally, coming in only behind cataracts.
Myopia is a significant public health concern in many parts of the world, particularly in Southeast Asia. However, it is rapidly spreading globally and becoming a concern in other regions as well. Unfortunately, current trends suggest that myopia rates are not slowing down anytime soon and may even be getting worse. Therefore, it is crucial to address this issue and take steps towards myopia management to prevent further progression and related ocular complications.
WHAT IS MYOPIA MANAGEMENT
Myopia management is a specialized area of optometry focused on slowing the progression of myopia in children. This discipline encompasses a range of services and advanced methods aimed at achieving optimal results while also ensuring that patients have clear, comfortable, and efficient binocular vision, as well as good ocular health.
At Precision Eye Care, Dr. Natalie Chai has the training and experience necessary to provide your child with personalized myopia management treatment. Traditional glasses and contact lenses only compensate for blurry vision, but they do not address ocular health concerns associated with myopia, as other methods have been shown to do in the literature.
Myopia Management Starts With Parent(s)
Children may not recognize vision problems and changes, which makes it the responsibility of parents and secondary caregivers, such as teachers, to observe any signs and maintain routine eye examination visits with a family optometrist.
Regular comprehensive eye exams for children are crucial in ensuring that their vision is developing within a normal range for their stage of development. It is recommended that children should have yearly eye exams in the province of Alberta. Early detection and intervention are key when it comes to treating any general health condition, including myopia, so it's essential to initiate proper treatment in a timely manner.
WHAT CAUSES MYOPIA?
Myopia has a variety of causes, some of which are determined by nature (such as genetics) and others by nurture (such as lifestyle habits). Both factors play a role in the development and progression of myopia.
Nature describes factors that we cannot control, but understanding these factors can help with risk analysis for the child. Nurture, on the other hand, refers to the factors that we can control, such as diet, behavior, and lifestyle habits, and we can take steps to address them in a child's everyday life. By addressing these factors, we can potentially reduce the risk of myopia development and progression.
Genetics/Family History
Research shown that the risk of myopia in children increases when one or both parents are myopic. If one parent is myopic, there is a 25% chance that their child will develop myopia. However, if both parents are myopic, that risk doubles to 50%. Therefore, it's essential for parents who are myopic to pay close attention to their child's vision and consider myopia management options to reduce the risk of myopia progression
Less Time Spent Outdoors
Recent studies have suggested that a lack of exposure to natural sunlight is associated with an increased prevalence of myopia. Sunlight plays a crucial role in the regulation of eye growth and can help prevent the onset and progression of myopia. Therefore, it's important for children to spend time outdoors in natural light to support healthy eye development. Additionally, limiting screen time and taking regular breaks from near work activities, such as reading or using electronic devices, can also help reduce the risk of myopia progression.
Increased Screen Time
Studies have shown that school-aged children who spend seven or more hours per week using computers or playing mobile video games may triple their risk for myopia. This is because prolonged near work, such as reading or using electronic devices, can lead to eye strain and fatigue, which may contribute to the development and progression of myopia. Therefore, it's important to limit screen time for children and encourage them to take frequent breaks to rest their eyes. Additionally, encouraging outdoor activities and physical exercise can also help reduce the risk of myopia development.
Ethnicity
Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between ethnicity and myopia, and the findings suggest that ethnicity is a strong predictor of myopia. Specifically, East/Southeast and South Asian children are at a higher risk for myopia and tend to experience faster myopia progression compared to white children. These ethnic differences may be related to genetic and environmental factors, including lifestyle, diet, and education. Therefore, it's important to consider these factors when developing myopia management strategies for different populations.
