Eyesight plays an integral role in learning and development for children of all ages. As such, any problems with the eyes can make it more difficult to master basic skills like walking or more complex skills like reading as your child grows in age. One common problem with eyesight that can be seen with children is myopia, more commonly referred to as nearsightedness.
Myopia Basics
Myopia means that your child can see objects clearly when they are close to his face, but objects quickly become blurry as they move further away form your child's place. How far the object can go before becoming blurry depends on how severe the myopia is. Myopia often becomes noticeable during childhood, either developing gradually as your child ages or in some cases can have a rapid onset.
Cause
Myopia occurs when your child's eye has a difficult time refracting, or bending, the light that enters the eye. In a healthy eye, the cornea of the eye has smooth and even curves. The curves help refract the light correctly to develop images for your brain to interpret. When your child's eye is curved too much, or if his eye is longer than normal, nearsightedness can develop. The shape of the eye is commonly inherited, so Myopia often runs in families, according to MayoClinic.com.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Unlike a health problem like the flu, your child may not know anything is wrong. As such, it's important to look for specific symptoms that your child is nearsighted. These symptoms may include constant squinting, sitting too close to the television or computer screen, holding a book right up to the face, constantly rubbing the eyes and excessive blinking. If you see one or more of the symptoms, set up an appointment with an eye doctor. The doctor can typically diagnose myopia with just a simple eye test.
Treatment
Once myopia has been diagnosed, your doctor will present a variety of options for treatment, depending on how severe the nearsightedness is. Typically, corrective lenses are enough to help your child cope with myopia. For younger children this consists of eye glasses which can transition to contact lenses as the child grow older and can handle the safe installation and removal of the contacts from the eyes. Once the child reaches 18, she can take treatment a step further through refractive surgery, which can alter the shape of the eye to better refract light.
