You might notice your child squinting at the TV or moving closer to see the whiteboard at school. These signs often point to myopia, a condition that affects millions of children and can worsen rapidly during their growing years. At Forest City Optometry, we help families understand and manage this increasingly common condition.
You can slow your child’s myopia progression through specialized contact lenses, myopia control eyeglass lenses, lifestyle changes, and regular monitoring with advanced diagnostic technology.
What Is Myopia & Why It Progresses in Kids
Myopia occurs when your child’s eye grows too long from front to back, making distant objects appear blurry. This condition typically develops during school years when children spend more time on close-up activities like reading and screen time, and less time outside.
Your child’s eyes continue growing until their late teens or early twenties. During this growth period, myopia can worsen each year without proper intervention, which is why early action makes such a difference for their long-term vision health.
Signs Your Child May Have Myopia
Watch for these common indicators that your child might be developing nearsightedness:
- Squinting when looking at distant objects
- Sitting closer to the TV or moving closer to the whiteboard at school
- Frequent eye rubbing or headaches
- Difficulty seeing clearly during sports or outdoor activities
- Holding books or devices very close to their face
Many parents notice these signs during homework time or when their child struggles to read street signs from the car. Regular children’s eye exams help catch myopia early, giving you more options to control its progression.
Proven Methods to Control Myopia Progression
MiSight Contact Lenses for Daily Myopia Control
MiSight daily disposable contact lenses are designed specifically for myopia control in children. These lenses correct your child’s vision while slowing the progression of nearsightedness through their special optical design.
Children as young as 8 years old can wear these lenses safely with proper training. The daily disposal design reduces infection risk and makes lens care simple for busy families, as outlined in proper contact lens care guidelines.
Specialized Myopia Control Eyeglass Lenses
Stellest lenses work differently than regular glasses to slow eye growth. These specialized lenses have unique designs that help control how light focuses in your child’s eye, targeting the mechanisms that drive myopia progression.
Your child can wear these lenses just like regular prescription glasses while receiving myopia control benefits. They provide clear vision for daily activities while actively working to slow the progression of nearsightedness.
Orthokeratology Treatment Options
Your child wears these specially designed contact lenses overnight to gently reshape the cornea. They remove the lenses in the morning and enjoy clear vision throughout the day without glasses or daytime contacts.
This method can slow myopia progression while providing daytime freedom from corrective lenses. Regular follow-up appointments help us track your child’s progress and monitor their eye health throughout treatment.
Advanced Monitoring with Axial Length Measurement
Axial length measurement tracks exactly how much your child’s eye grows over time. This advanced diagnostic technology helps us see if myopia control treatments are working effectively by measuring changes in eye length down to tiny fractions.
Regular comprehensive myopia assessments allow us to adjust treatment plans as your child grows and their needs change. We monitor vision changes, eye health, and treatment effectiveness during each visit to ensure optimal results.
Our diagnostic tools help us catch any complications early while tracking treatment success. Consistent monitoring protects your child’s long-term eye health while managing myopia progression through their developmental years, as emphasized in myopia management research.
Lifestyle Changes That Support Myopia Control
Outdoor Time & Natural Light Exposure
Encouraging your child to spend at least 2 hours outdoors daily can help slow myopia progression. Natural light exposure and distance vision during outdoor activities provide protective benefits for developing eyes.
Outdoor sports, playground time, and nature walks all count toward this daily goal. Even reading outside provides more benefit than indoor close-up activities for myopia control.
Healthy Screen & Reading Habits
The 20-20-20 rule helps reduce eye strain during homework and screen time. Every 20 minutes, have your child look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to give their focusing muscles a break.
Maintaining proper reading distance and good lighting reduces stress on developing eyes. Position books and screens at arm’s length when possible, and ensure adequate room lighting for all close-up tasks.
Long-Term Benefits of Early Myopia Control
Children who receive myopia control treatment often maintain lower prescription strengths as adults. This can mean fewer limitations in career choices and recreational activities later in life, plus reduced dependence on thick glasses or contacts.
Controlling myopia progression reduces your child’s risk of serious eye conditions like retinal detachment, glaucoma, and macular degeneration in adulthood. These sight-threatening conditions become more likely as myopia levels increase throughout childhood.
Starting myopia control treatment early in your child’s development typically produces more effective results than waiting until their prescription stabilizes. At Forest City Optometry, we provide comprehensive myopia assessments and offer all the latest myopia control options, from MiSight and Stellest lenses to detailed axial length monitoring.
Book your child’s myopia consultation today to explore the right treatment approach for their developing vision needs.
