Myopia occurs when there is a mismatch between the focusing power of the eye and the length of the eye. Light is focused in front of the retina, leading to distant objects appearing blurred. As children grow, this difference tends to increase, leading to increased need for glasses year after year.
Normal
Far objects are clear
Myopia
Far objects are blurry
That’s a tough question to answer! We know that genetics play a significant role, but some children develop myopia even if their parents don’t need glasses.
Studies also show that the environment can affect myopia progression, with the most important part being time spent outdoors. Children who spend less than 90 minutes outside per day are at greater risk of developing myopia.
The impact of near work and screen time is less clear - but children who spend a lot of time on screens tend to also spend more time indoors, so take frequent breaks and get outside!
More than just causing blurred vision, myopia is associated with eye health issues including cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic maculopathy. The greater the myopic correction, the higher the risk becomes for vision loss. That’s where myopia control comes in - with intervention, we can reduce the progression of myopia by upwards of 50%.
Over the past two decades, the number of children with myopia has doubled. Current projections show that half the world’s population will be myopic by 2050.With that increase in myopia comes a significantly increased risk of eye healthand vision issues. The time to act is now!
