School is starting soon. Online learning has become an trend, thus children nowadays need to spend hours on their screen, either for classes or entertainment. Mobile devices are within reach at all times, posing a hidden threat to their eye health at the development stage, whose eyes are still developing and prone to strains. Visual impairment can make learning difficult, affect emotional well-being and lead to poor academic performance. In this issue, let’s look at the effects of myopia on your children in the new digital learning era and how your children’s vision problems could be treated early.

Myopia among children is more serious than you thought

Myopia is caused by genetics and environmental conditions. It tends to run in families but most people are myopic due to their bad eye habits in childhood. Myopia progresses as one ages and only gets stable when one reaches 20 years old. According to the <Pre-school Vision Screening> from the Hong Kong government, myopia among the 6 to 9 year-olds in Hong Kong has surged 3 times more than before. This trend coincides with the in-creased use of digital devices in recent years. The prevalence of online learning nowadays has further prolonged the screen time of children and led to higher levels of myopia, which can bring about risks of severe eye problems such as hyperopia, astigmatism and amblyopia. Therefore, as parents, you will need to pay attention to your children’s daily habits and watch for any symptoms of myopia.

The Keys to Control Myopia in Children
The Keys to Control Myopia in Children

Signs of vision problems in young children:

  • Sitting too close to the screen or having to sit at the front of the classroom to see better;
  • Blurry vision when seeing at a distance;
  • Frequent blinking;
  • Tired eyes and headaches;
  • Unable to focus when reading, often losing place, omitting words, or skipping lines;
  • Frequent eye rubbing;
  • Tilting the head to one side.
The Keys to Control Myopia in Children

Holding onto the golden period for treatment before 8 years old

Since vision development matures when a child reaches 8 years old, a comprehensive eye examination at an early age is essential for the future success of your child. Not only does It ensure your child’s eyes are functioning normally, early detection of vision problems (such as amblyopia and strabismus) also avoids delaying treatment and the consequent hindrance on personal growth and academic achievement. The best time for eye check is between 4 to 5 years old because children can express themselves enough at this age to work with optometrist for an accurate test result. Then, schedule an eye exam at least once a year for your children to monitor their eye health as they grow up.

Signs of vision problems in young children:

  • Sitting too close to the screen or having to sit at the front of the classroom to see better;
  • Blurry vision when seeing at a distance;
  • Frequent blinking;
  • Tired eyes and headaches;
  • Unable to focus when reading, often losing place, omitting words, or skipping lines;
  • Frequent eye rubbing;
  • Tilting the head to one side.

Holding onto the golden period for treatment before 8 years old

Since vision development matures when a child reaches 8 years old, a comprehensive eye examination at an early age is essential for the future success of your child. Not only does It ensure your child’s eyes are functioning normally, early detection of vision problems (such as amblyopia and strabismus) also avoids delaying treatment and the consequent hindrance on personal growth and academic achievement. The best time for eye check is between 4 to 5 years old because children can express themselves enough at this age to work with optometrist for an accurate test result. Then, schedule an eye exam at least once a year for your children to monitor their eye health as they grow up.

Customized Eye Examination for Children

Optometrists in PUYI OPTICAL are professionally trained. They are able to conduct the following eye checks with your child smoothly in a proficient manner:

EYE EXAM FOR CHILDREN

Subjective and Objective Refractions  

Subjective and Objective Refractions

An overall visual acuity test to detect whether there are any potential eye problems such as myopia, hyperopia, amblyopia (lazy eye);

Colour Vision Test  

Colour Vision Test

Colour deficiency is the weakness in distinguishing colours. Early detection of colour blindness allows children to be better taken care of by their families and schools, and to get well-prepared for choosing their disciplines and occupations in the future;

Stereopsis Test  

Stereopsis Test

The test assesses the overall stereo vision and perception of depth. If your child always loses balance and fell down or is weak in sports performance, you may need to arrange a stereoscopic vision test for him;

Binocular Vision Test  

Binocular Vision Test

A series of eye muscle control tests to prevent issues caused by strabismus, such as double vision, blurry vision, eye fatigue, short attention span, learning difficulties, low self-esteem due to one’s appearance, etc.;

Optometrists will also get to know the vision habits and lifestyle of your child. Their observations combined with professional equipment will deliver data and information which allow them to provide the eye care solutions that are most suitable for your child. Parents could also learn about their child’s eye condition in-depth to improve the way they protect their child’s vision.

Prevention and Correction

The younger a person has myopia, the higher the chance for the myopia to progress beyond 6.0 diopters. Moreover, the prevalence of virtual classes and digital devices have increased the screen time of children significantly, resulting in the substantial acceleration of myopic shift in recent years. Apart from paying closer attention to your child’s eye condition and scheduling regular eye exams for them, parents can also consider treating myopia of their child in the following ways:

1. WEARING MYOPIA CONTROL LENSES:

 

ZEISS MYOVISION PRO LENSES

ZEISS has specially designed for managing peripheral defocus with the goal of reducing myopia progression in children. With ZEISS AgeFit Junior technology, the lenses are optimized based on your child’s facial features and precise wearing position. They can provide optimal visual correction for kids and also help to slow down myopia progression effectively.

  

HOYA MiYOSMART LENSES

With D.I.M.S. technology, the front surface of the lens is comprised of hundreds of small segments, each providing myopic defocus. Light rays entering the eye via these defocus segments are focused right in front of the retina, thereby controlling the axial elongation and curbing myopia. progression.

2. ORTHOKERATOLOGY:

Specialized highly-oxygen permeable rigid contact lenses that are worn overnight to reshape the cornea, gradually reduce the refractive error, and slow the progression of myopia and astigmatism eventually;

3. SOFT CONTACT LENSES:

Worn during the day to correct vision and control the progression of myopia;

4. PHARMACEUTICALS:

There are 2 types of mydriatics: long-term and short-term. The short-term one induces the pupil to dilate temporarily and relaxes the ciliary muscle to eliminate pseudo-myopia (false nearsightedness). The long-term one prevents the progression of myopia;

Preventing and treating myopia for your child is a long journey that needs your attention. After gaining a certain level of understanding on myopia in this issue, why not visit the PUYI OPTICAL vision centre with your child? Let our professional optometrists conduct a comprehensive eye examination for your child. Learning about your child’s eye condition now would benefit their future vision and personal development tremendously.