How Is Myopia Diagnosed in Children?

Nearsightedness or myopia is a common eye problem in children, especially nowadays. According to a survey, about nine percent of kids aged 5 to 17 have the condition. It can affect a child’s academic performance and social life. It causes the child to be able to see close-up things but not those at a distance.

 

One of the first signs occurs in the first or second grade when the child complains of struggling to see what the teacher writes on the board.

 

Why Should You Treat Myopia Quickly?

It is important to treat myopia with corrective eyewear or other myopia control options as soon as possible. Myopia can lead to other serious vision-related issues if it is not treated early enough. It will also only serve to benefit your child to see clearly in school.

 

Myopia grows as your eyes grow. So how do you diagnose myopia in kids? First, let us understand the condition better.

 

Things to Know About Myopia

How Prevalent Is It Today?

The numbers are staggering, to say the least: Around 41 percent of Americans between 12 and 52 years old are myopic compared to 25 percent in 1971. There is no known explanation for these changes in society.

 

Some theorize that environmental and genetic factors are to blame, but exceptions exist. For example, it was known that if both parents were myopic, their child would be as well. But, if the same parents have two children, one may have perfect vision and the other would be myopic.

 

What Causes Myopia?

Myopia is caused by the elongation of the eyeball, affecting the ability of the eyes to focus images on the retina. The light enters the eye and focuses on the retina in a normal person. In a myopic person, the light from a distant object will focus just before the retina. This causes the blurry vision that myopic people experience when they try to see distant objects.

 

Is There a Risk of Other Disease?

There is a link between untreated myopia and other ocular conditions as a child ages. Some conditions your child may develop in the future are glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts, and retinal detachment. They can all lead to blindness, making it critical to treat myopia as soon as possible. Some eye doctors may recommend management strategies to prevent it from worsening.

 

How Do Eye Doctors Diagnose Myopia in Children?

When your child is very young, the pediatrician will run a few eye tests to check their vision. It would be best to take your child to a pediatric eye doctor for a visual exam before they turn one. The next exam should be when they join kindergarten unless they have a visual issue identified early, in which case they would need more often exams.

 

Family History

If you have a family history of myopia, the eye doctor may advise frequent visits for your child. Family history does predispose your child to develop myopia.

 

Tests

The eye doctor will first check for light reflexes in children between three and five years old. Then they will conduct a test using charts, pictures, letters, or a game to test the child’s visual ability. They will need to get tests every few years if they have no vision issues to ensure that none develop.


 

For more on how myopia is diagnosed in children, contact Planet Vision Eyecare at our office in Lake Worth, Florida. Call (561) 556-4600 to book an appointment today.