Myopia is often referred to as “short-sighted’’ or “near-sighted”. A person with myopia can see clearly up close – when reading a book or looking at a phone for example – but words and objects look fuzzy on a blackboard, on television or when driving. Most children have normal eyesight up to the time they are around six years old. At this point, some children may start to become near-sighted, resulting in blurred distance vision. The goal is to provide treatments as early as possible to minimise vision change.
Myopia prevalence among Australian 12 year olds has doubled in the past six years. Myopia in children tends to progress throughout their childhood, and higher levels of myopia are associated with higher risk of eye disease in adulthood. If your child already wears glasses, you can be proactive by seeking treatment to slow down and even stop their vision worsening.
Myopic parents are more likely to produce myopic children than non-myopic parents. People in urban environments have more myopia than rural or primitive societies. The amount of reading or near work a person does is not predictive of whether they will become myopic. The eye determines where correct focus is located while it is growing by the clarity of peripheral (side) vision, not central vision. People who spend more time outdoors, even if they have myopic parents and even if they read a lot, are less likely to become myopic. As you can see, the story of myopia and myopia progression is complicated.
There have been multiple clinical trials, with thousands of patients willing to participate and research labs around the world, and these are helping to piece together the story of why myopia develops and thus how it and the eye might be controlled. The research is continuing but it has reached a stage where the results cannot be ignored.
Our eyesight is the result of the living tissue of our eye turning the light that enters it into a chemical signal that is relayed to the brain, which then interprets the signal from thousands of cells and creates a balance of electrical energy that we call vision. We do not fully understand all the steps along the way and, while our knowledge is growing rapidly, there is no way that specific responses can be guaranteed. We are all different and will react differently to the same situation.
Myopia Treatment Options
Myopia is a complicated disease that appears to have a genetic component that is triggered by environmental influences. As a result, different people will respond differently to the same situations. Many different studies have been conducted over the years and a cohesive story is beginning to emerge. Ultimately the goal is to decide on a course of action for our myopic, or soon to be myopic, patients. Some treatments have more drawbacks than others that may influence which treatment option is the best choice for an individual patient
Myopia Prevention and Control.
- Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) contact lenses, worn only at night, are powerful in their ability to control myopia and free the wearer of any type of lenses during the day. This form of treatment can slow myopia progression by 32%-56%.
- Bifocal type soft lenses worn only during the day are also a powerful treatment option. They can slow myopia progression by 40%-87%.
- Atropine drops-low dose may slow myopia progression by 60%-77%.
- Different types of special glasses slow myopia by 24%-55%.
(Treatment periods varied between different studies thus comparisons between different treatment options should be made with caution.)
Here is a summary of what may be done to limit the progression or development of myopia:
- Spend more time outdoors. Eyecare practitioners are not sure why - it might be the sun, it may be focusing on distant objects or some other factor - but we do know that outdoor time helps more than a little in the slowing of myopia progression.
- Children require an eye exam every year starting at age five. The goal is to actively start treatment within a few months of myopia starting.
- In general, myopia progression can be slowed or stopped, but we cannot cure or reverse it.
Every Australian should have their eyes tested on a regular basis to either detect the development of vision problems or to chart the course of treatment or vision change for existing conditions. The frequency of eye tests depends on a number of factors including age and existing health conditions that may adversely affect the eyes, such as diabetes .
As a baseline, it’s recommended that people have an eye exam annually. Depending on the optometrist, Medicare may either fully or partially cover the cost of your eye exam. Many optometry practices in Australia bulk bill for eye exams, but if your optometrist doesn’t you will have to pay for the exam and collect the rebate from Medicare later. The practice may do this rebate electronically, so the Medicare rebate will appear in your bank account after it has been processed.
If you need to schedule an appointment with an optometrist to have your eyes tested, the fastest and easiest way is to search and book online with MyHealth1st.