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Everything you need to know about myopia and how to protect your child’s eye health

Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is a visual condition that causes poor long-distance vision. In other words, close-up objects are clear, but far-away ones are blurry. It’s important to talk about this condition because it is on the rise across the world. Especially so in children.

In an important study on the subject, the American Academy of Ophthalmology predicted a increase in individuals living with myopia in the coming decades. The study projects that today’s numbers (around 23% of the world’s population) will grow to more than 49% by 2050. Alarming!
Although this condition has a genetic element, most experts agree the increase in recent years is related to environmental factors. These include increased screen time and less time spent outdoors, resulting in a deficiency in natural sunlight exposure.

CHILDHOOD MYOPIA EPIDEMIC

Of more concern is the rapid increase in the development of myopia in young people. These same studies indicate that more screen time and not spending enough time outdoors also play a significant role in the development of myopia in children.

Cargo Eye Care is a leader in the management of Myopic Progression (where the nearsightedness gets worse year over year). Many parents are concerned about children becoming more nearsighted as they are using more digital devices for both instructional and leisure time. The good news is, we can treat myopic progression, and in many cases, prevent it.

PEDIATRIC MYOPIA MANAGEMENT AT CARGO EYE CARE

Treating Myopic Progression in Children

At Cargo Eye Care, we are proud to be on the leading edge of treatment for this issue. Myopia Management is a type of therapy we offer young patients who are systematically becoming more nearsighted year over year. The options we offer are:

Atropine Eye Drops. Studies have shown that atropine eye drops are effective in slowing myopia progression in young children. This easy treatment consists of an eye drop applied daily at bedtime for one year. That’s it! Our clinical team will follow up every six months to monitor for any changes.

MiSight 1-day Contact Lens. This is the first easy-to-use, single-use soft contact lens proven to slow the progression of myopia when prescribed for children 8-12 years old. It works by correcting vision and slowing the elongation of the eye through ActivControl™ Technology. Over three years, MiSight reduced myopia progression by 59% versus a single-use contact lens that only corrects vision.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SLOW MYOPIC PROGRESSION IN CHILDREN?

Nearsightedness is related to how your child’s eyes are growing. For this reason, it’s important to control the progression of this vision-stealing condition.

  • As your child’s eyes grow and their myopia increases, dependency on glasses increases
  • Poor vision can reduce the ability of children to participate in sports and other activities
  • Increasing myopia can lead to eye health problems in the future, including a greater risk of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and macular degeneration. All of these conditions can cause irreversible vision loss.

IS PEDIATRIC MYOPIA MANAGEMENT RIGHT FOR MY CHILD?

At Cargo Eye Care, we want every patient, young and old, to enjoy every season of life with the vision they deserve. And we want to make sure parents are aware, informed and equipped to make important decisions for their children’s eye health.

Who is a candidate?

  • 8-17 years old
  • Progression of myopia 0.50D or greater
  • Family history of myopia

Schedule your child’s evaluation with one of our vision experts today.