When to Start Your Child on Myopia Management

Many children in the United States and worldwide are developing myopia or nearsightedness from an early age. Thankfully, though, there are effective ways today to slow its progression and prevent high myopia, which wasn’t readily available several years ago.

 

There’s no age requirement to start myopia management. Your eye specialist will likely recommend starting myopic control as soon as they identify that your child is at an increased risk of developing high myopia in the future. Once a kid becomes myopic, the condition tends to progress every few to several months. The younger the child becomes nearsighted, the faster the condition gets worse, resulting in higher myopia levels. You must see myopia for what it is — an eye condition that can increase disease risk. Myopia Control and management will help reduce your child’s lifelong risks of eye diseases that may result in blindness. These vision-threatening problems include cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration.

 

It’s most effective to start your child on myopia management when they’re under 12 years old. The early onset of the condition means that there will be more years for it to advance. Many studies show that at the age of 6 or 7 is the point where myopia progression tends to increase dramatically. That’s why it’s crucial to start myopia management early. Myopia control usually lasts until there’s little to no myopia progression anymore.

 

Is Myopia Management Right for Your Child?

There’s still no way to reverse the effects of myopia. But there are ways to keep it from getting worse. Myopia management is the decision to implement a strategy to halt or slow down the progression of myopia in children. It generally involves prescribing specific eyewear and even eye drops to keep myopia as low as possible. The treatments help preserve the eye’s natural, healthy shape.

 

The ideal candidate for this evidence-based program is a child, teen, or young adult with almost any degree of nearsightedness. As emphasized earlier, it’s best to start your child on myopia management as early as possible. But many older kids and teens can equally benefit from their excellent outcomes. Several factors make someone suitable for myopia management, including your child:
 

• Being at least six or seven years old

• Having an increasing myopic prescription every year

• Having a certain level of maturity and a sense of responsibility

• Having the willingness and ability to care for his or her prescription glasses or contact lenses
  
   

It’s also worth mentioning that the condition stabilizes at around 21 years old in 95 percent of childhood myopia cases. Experts agree that myopia management is generally appropriate for any myopic child 20 years old and below.

 

Myopia control and management are about protecting your child’s eye health. Each treatment plan has its benefits and varying levels of efficacy. At Ridgeview Eye Care, we can help you decide which method is most suitable for your child.

 

Learn more about when to start your child on myopia management, contact Ridgeview Eye Care in Olathe (913) 270-8598 or De Soto, KS (913) 270-6017.