Myopia: Exploring the Causes of Nearsightedness
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a refractive error that makes it difficult to see distant objects. Unfortunately, the number of nearsighted children is increasing due to several factors. What many parents don’t know is that having medium to high myopia in childhood increases the likelihood of developing serious eye diseases later in life. Fortunately, myopia management can slow its progression and help ensure your child has good eye health well into adulthood.
What Causes Myopia?
Myopia is caused by the eye being too elongated or the eye’s lens being too curved, so light can’t properly focus on the retina.
The root cause of myopia isn't fully understood yet, but eye experts say genetic and environmental factors play a role. Environmental factors include excessive near work, not enough “sun time”, and limited outdoor activities.
Myopia Treatment
At Domiano Eye Care, we offer a variety of treatment options that can effectively slow the progression of myopia in children.
This is important because myopia increases the risk of a child developing serious eye conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinal detachment later in life.
Our approach to myopia treatment is tailored to the individual needs of each child or teen. Depending on the severity of myopia, treatment options may include multifocal contact lenses specifically designed to correct nearsightedness, or low-dose atropine eye drops.
Additionally, orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses, which are worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea, can provide your child with clear vision during the day without relying on glasses or contact lenses.
Our eye doctor will determine the most suitable treatment plan to help manage your child’s myopia so they can maintain healthy vision in the long term. Schedule a myopia consultation with us today.