Max Halford FBDO CL
Clinical Lead, Association of British Dispensing Opticians
Myopia is a growing problem for young people with long-term eye health risks. Find out about the latest treatment and how it could protect your child.
Short-sightedness, also known as myopia, affects around 3 in 10 adults in the UK. With myopia, distant objects appear blurry while close work is usually clear. Research shows myopia will affect nearly half the world’s population by 2050. In the UK, myopia is more than twice as prevalent in children compared to the 1960s.
Why myopia is affecting more children
In most cases, myopia occurs because the eye continues to grow in length beyond what is needed for best vision. It’s not clear what causes this, but factors include ethnicity; your parents being myopic; and what you are using your vision for. Research has shown that time outdoors can slow the onset and progression of myopia while close work can have a negative effect.
Take your children for regular
eye tests from a young age.
Associated risks of myopia
The World Health Organization recognises the health issues of myopia. Cataracts, retinal detachment, glaucoma and macula problems are all associated with high myopia. However, interventions are now available to control the increase in myopia in children. Eye care professionals worldwide are becoming increasingly proactive in recommending myopia management to patients and their parents.
Regular eye tests and myopia management
Your child’s prescription at an early age can show if they might be at risk. Take your children for regular eye tests from a young age — they don’t need to be able to read to have a sight test, and the cost of the test is covered by the NHS. In the UK, specially designed spectacle lenses are now available, which aim to reduce the increase in length that causes the increase in short-sightedness. Specialist contact lenses designed to do the same thing are also available on every high street.
Myopia progression is at pandemic levels worldwide and will have serious implications for eye health going forward. Solutions are available at high street opticians across the UK. Ask to speak to the dispensing optician about myopia management and if it will benefit your child. Remember to include regular eye tests as part of your family’s healthcare routine.
