Pinders Opticians - Myopia — a guide for parents

Myopia — a guide for parents

Everything you need to know about this common condition

At Pinder’s, we’re here to support the eye care needs of the whole family — and that includes the little ones! In this article, we’ll be putting the spotlight on myopia; an eye health issue that all parents should know about.

Myopia is a common condition and is frequently known as short sightedness. Children who begin to develop myopia notice that objects in the distance are not as easy to see as they used to be. This is first noticed when viewing the blackboard at school, or looking through the TV guide on the television.

Childhood myopia occurs when the eyes grow too quickly. There are also lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors at play. At your child’s appointment at Pinder’s, we’ll ask you about your child’s activities including how much time they’re spending looking at screens, reading or doing close work. Myopia is also shown to be hereditary — a family history of myopia can increase the risk, with the risk increasing if both parents are myopic compared to one.

We’ll also ask about how much time your child spends outdoors, as playing outside or enjoying sports outside helps to reduce the risk. The latest research recommends 60-80 minutes of outdoor time each day to delay the onset of myopia.

Helping to manage myopia

If your child experiences symptoms of myopia, it’s important to manage the condition so it doesn’t get worse. At Pinders we aim to educate parents and children, so when we suspect they are becoming a pre-myope (a rapid change in their prescription towards myopia for their age) we would fully discuss all options in our myopia control treatment plans. These treatment plans can help slow its progression with special spectacle lenses or contact lenses.

One option is our Eye Dream contact lenses, which are worn by your child when they’re sleeping and help to reshape the front of the eye. This is an excellent, and reversible method of correcting myopia and also controlling its progression. Recent advances in technology and scientific studies have developed new treatments including MiYOSMART Spectacle lenses and MiSight Contact lenses — all options that you can discuss with your optometrist.

No matter what your child’s needs, our myopia specialist optometrists can advise on the best treatment options to help manage and control this condition.

Everything you need to know about this common condition

Get in touch with your local Pinder’s branch to book your child’s consultation today.