MYOPIA in Children – Risk Factors, Signs and Preventions

Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness is a very common condition where patients can see objects near to you but objects farther away are blurry.
In this video, I will share more on causes of myopia, signs and symptoms of identifying early myopia in your kids and lifestyle changes and medical treatments to prevent and delay onset of myopia

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Take a look at The Eye structure.
The cornea is the clear dome-shaped front surface of your eye where light enters The Eye.
The lens is a clear structure about the size of an M&M candy that focuses on the light that enters our eye.
The retina is found at the back of your eye to receive the light rays from objects.

Myopia occurs when the eyeball is longer than normal or if the lens and cornea is not evenly and smoothly curved or in some cases a combination of both.
This will result in the image being focused in front of the retina instead of directly on the retina.

Evidence suggests that childhood myopia or short-sightedness is caused by a combination of genetic factors and environmental factors.
We know that children of myopic parents are more likely to have myopia.
But what are some of the other environmental factors that can result in an increased risk of myopia?
They include
1) prolonged periods of detailed or close work such as reading and writing or computer and tablet usage
2) Lack of time spent outdoors

What are some of the tell-tale signs that your young child may be suffering from early myopia?
1) you may find them squinting all the time when looking at distant objects or images
2) You realise that they are sitting closer and closer to the TV or moving to the front of the classroom to get a better view
3) Blinking excessively
4) rubbing his or her eyes frequently
5) Seemingly unaware of distant objects

Myopia cannot be reversed or cured, but it can be prevented or slowed down.
It is important to delay and slow down the onset and progression of myopia because children with high or severe myopia have higher risks of complications in future like retinal detachment, glaucoma, macular degeneration and even blindness.
Practise good eye care habits.
1) While near works such as school work, working on computers or reading is unavoidable, ensuring that your child takes frequent breaks to rest his or her eyes.
Take a break to rest the eyes every 30 to 40 minutes. Look out of the window at distance objects to relax the eyes.
2) Hold any reading material 30 cm away from the eyes and always read while sitting upright
3) Be seated at least 2 metres away when watching television
4) Computer screens or tablets should be placed 50cm away from eyes and adjusted for minimal glare
5) Lighting should be sufficient to illuminate the room when reading, watching television or using the computer and tablets

Secondly, more outdoor and physical activities.
Findings from the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk Factors for Myopia revealed that outdoor activity could be protective against the development of myopia in children.
The Sydney Myopia Study presented in 2006 found that the prevalence of myopia in 6 and 7 year old of Chinese ethnicity in Sydney was 3.3% as compared to that of 29.1% in SIngapore.
And the main reason for the difference was that Children in Sydney spent about 4 times as much time outdoors than Singapore children and less or hardly any time on tuition.
Regular outdoor time of 2 hours a day in young children prevents myopia and its progression by about 10-20%.

Thirdly, early detection.
Now with your best efforts to practise good eye care habits and adopting more outdoor activities, your child may still develop myopia.
The next best thing you can do for them is to detect it early and slow down the progression.
And that can be done through yearly eye examinations.
This is because corrective visual aids like spectacles when used early and appropriately can actually help the eyes focus better.
There are also some interventions which can slow down the progression of myopia.
Some examples includes atropine eyedrops and the use of special daily disposable contact lens.

00:00 intro
01:08 Normal eye structure
01:38 Risk factors for myopia
02:22 Telltale signs of myopia
02:46 How to slow down myopia progression

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Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.

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