Of the three main refractive errors affecting human vision, myopia is the most common. The condition affects a significant number of people worldwide. In the past forty years, the number of people with the condition has grown by 25%. According to experts, the numbers are not slowing down, which is alarming. Some consider myopia a pandemic.
 

The condition usually develops when a child is still under ten years. As they age, the condition worsens and keeps progressing until their vision stabilizes. The main issue with myopia is not that it causes problems with distance vision but that it can predispose your child to more severe eye conditions. 

What Is Myopia?

Myopia is an eye condition that affects the eye's structure, leading to distance vision issues. The main cause for the change in eye structure is unknown, but the changes it impacts are well understood. 
 

The structural changes in the eye involve the eyeball's elongation and the cornea's bulging. These changes change how light refracts into the eye, affecting distance vision. When you look at something moving away from your face, the image falls farther away from your retina. 

What Is Myopia Control?

The elongation of the eyeball starts when your child is young. At first, it is slight, with little impact on your child's vision. But the eyeball keeps elongating as they age, causing the condition to worsen. This continuous elongation of the eyeball is what eye doctors refer to as progression. 
 

Myopia control is the solution that eye doctors developed to slow this progression. It involves different strategies that arrest or limit the elongation of the eyeball. According to studies, the strategies usually lead to a prescription that is a lot less strong. Most eye doctors recommend myopia control strategies for myopes until they turn 21. Most myopes' vision stabilizes at about 21 to 25 years old. 

Benefits of Myopia Control

Myopia control significantly benefits your child's school performance and social life. It plays a vital role in the future of their eye health. Despite a control strategy's effectiveness, none can downright stop the progression—they cannot reverse any of the progression that has already happened. Here are the main benefits of the strategies for myopia control:

 

• Better Vision
   

Many forms of myopia control provide better vision for your child'. Your child will be able to participate in school and play and socialize. Some strategies even provide clear vision during the day without needing eyewear.

 

• Reduced Lens Strength
   

As mentioned earlier, myopia control leads to a lower lens power when vision stabilizes. This is one of the key aims of the treatment—reducing the final prescription. Some studies have shown the programs lead to a 50% prescription reduction in lens power. The results may vary with different patients depending on the nature of their original myopia and the intervention time.

 

• Better Eye Health
   

Myopia control is the best way to ensure your child does not develop severe eye conditions later. Some conditions that can develop from uncontrolled myopia are early cataracts, glaucoma, myopic macular disease, and retinal detachment.
 

For more on the benefits of early myopia control for children, visit Advance Eye Care and Optical at our office in Jacksonville, Florida. Call (904) 996-1533 to book an appointment today.