The rates of myopia (near-sightedness) are rising, and expected to hit 50% of the world's population by 2050. As well as being one of the most common vision disorders in the world, it is also the leading cause of blindness worldwide, and leading cause of visual impairment in children. With this in mind, let's take a "closer look" at this condition in this blog post put together by our national office team.
What is myopia?
Myopia is an eye condition involving abnormal elongation of the eyeball or curvature of the cornea, (the clear window at the front of the eye).
Myopia affects your distance vision; you can see objects that are close quite clearly, but have trouble viewing objects that are far away.
Even though teenagers and adults can develop myopia it usually begins in school-age children and can continue to progress until the eye stops growing.
Why the urgency?
The reason why there is such a level of urgency around the myopia message is that the earlier myopia starts in a child’s life, the more likely it is that it will progress to high myopia, where there is an increased risk of permanent vision loss through glaucoma, cataract, and problems with the retina; the sensor layer at the back of the eye.
Myopia needs to be taken seriously, particularly at a young age.
What are the symptoms of myopia (rear-sightedness)?
- Screwing up their eyes or squinting to see objects in the distance
- Difficulty seeing the blackboard/whiteboard at school
- Sitting close to the television or needing to sit at the front of the classroom.
Early diagnosis and intervention are the keys to slowing the progression of myopia.
To do that, contact us and arrange for your child to have their eyes examined.
If they do not have problems with their vision, brilliant! If they do, we'll will work out a management plan to make sure their vision does not get worse.
Myopia is projected to become a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness. We can help our children by taking action early.
Ready to book an appointment?
Online bookings available or call us on (07) 3463 0349.
This website does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately dial Triple 0 (000).