Short Sighted (Myopia)
Myopia, also known as being near-sighted or short-sighted, is a very common cause of blurred vision and makes objects that are in the distance appear out of focus. Myopia affects around one third of people in the UK and can be detected during a routine sight test.
What is myopia and what does it mean?
A person with myopia will be able to see things up close quite clearly, for example, reading. But for tasks that require distance vision, like driving or watching TV, their vision is blurred.
Myopia symptoms and signs:
Its common for people with undiagnosed myopia to also experience symptoms like headaches or eyestrain when trying to focus on things far away.
People with severe myopia are more likely to experience conditions later in life such as glaucoma, cataracts or retinal detachment.
Causes of myopia:
Myopia usually occurs when the eye is effectively too long - so the distance between the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) and the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) is too far. This means that light entering the eye is focused before it reaches the retina, causing blurred vision.
Can myopia be cured?
Although, there is no cure for myopia, it can be easily corrected with the use of glasses or contact lens, with a minus power lens. This means that the lens has a concave shape, helping to improve your focus.
It may be that you need to wear glasses or contact lenses constantly or just on and off, for clear distance such a driving and TV.
Adults may also have the option of Laser Eye Surgery to correct their myopia. Your optician will be able to have an in -depth conversation with you about this and the correct options for you.
How do I know if my child has myopia?
If your child has myopia, then they may complain about difficulty seeing into the distance, experience headaches, eye strain and even fatigue. Even if your child does not complain about their eyes or headaches specifically, there are other key signs you can look out for, including clumsiness, lack of concentration, eye rubbing and falling behind on schoolwork.
If you are concerned about myopia in your child, then the best step is to take them for a sight test at your local optician. Children can be tested at any age, even if they can't yet read or talk. Whilst, the optician will use the well-known letter chart with the older children, with younger children they can show them pictures or shapes. They can also assess how long or short-sighted your child may be by simply shining a light into their eye using a technique called retinopathy.
Myopia Management for Children:
Myopia is usually detected during a comprehensive sight test, which will test your vision as well as examining your eye and its health in detail.
Children with myopia can have their vision corrected with normal glasses or contact lenses. These lenses give clear central vision, but some peripheral (non-central) light rays focus beyond the retina, so the image in that part of the retina is blurry.
For children who have myopia, there is a practice call 'myopia management' which may be an option. It aims to minimise the progression of myopia. This can be done through lifestyle changes or by using specialist lenses designed to minimise myopia progression in children.
