Myopia is not just an eye condition; it’s a physical change in the shape of the eyeball. And while there is currently no way to reverse the physical changes in your eye that cause myopia, there are effective methods to correct your vision and manage the progression of the refractive error.
Slowing down myopia progression in children reduces the risk for long-term complications. The team at Upper Appleby Eye Care understands the critical nature of myopia management and is here to answer your questions and provide tailored advice.
What Is Myopia?
Myopia happens when your eyeball grows too long from front to back, or when your cornea (the eye’s clear front surface) is too curved. This shape causes light entering your eye to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. The result is blurry vision when you look at anything far away.
How Myopia Affects Your Vision
If you have myopia, you can usually see close-up objects without a problem, like reading a text message or a menu. The challenge arises when you try to focus on distant objects. This reduced distance vision can make activities like driving, watching a movie, or recognizing a friend across the street difficult.
When Does Myopia Develop?
Myopia often begins during childhood, a time when your eyes are growing rapidly. The condition can continue to worsen throughout your teenage years. For most people, it stabilizes in the late teens or early 20s once the eyes have finished growing.
Correction vs. Reversal: What You Need to Know
It’s essential to understand the difference between correcting vision and reversing myopia. An actual reversal would require changing the physical length or shape of your eye, which is not possible with current treatments. Instead, the focus is on helping you see clearly despite the error.
How Treatments Correct Your Vision
Myopia treatments work by bending light so it focuses correctly on your retina. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are common ways to achieve this, providing clear vision while you wear them. These options compensate for your eye’s shape but don’t permanently alter it.
Common Myths About Myopia Reversal
You may encounter claims about eye exercises or special diets that can cure nearsightedness. These methods are not supported by evidence. While vision therapy exercises can be helpful for other conditions related to eye muscle coordination, they do not change the length of the eyeball.
How to Manage Myopia Progression
Instead of reversal, the goal is to manage myopia by slowing down its progression. This management is crucial for children and teenagers whose eyes are still developing. Slowing myopia can help protect their vision and overall eye health for years to come.
Routine eye exams with your eye doctor are key to tracking changes in your vision. Our team uses innovative diagnostic technologies to obtain precise measurements of your child’s eye length and curvature. This detailed information helps create a tailored management plan for them.
Lifestyle Habits for Healthy Eyes
There are a few things that you and your family can do to help maintain good eye health:
- Spend more time outdoors: Spending time outside in natural light may help regulate healthy eye growth and support myopia management.
- Take frequent screen breaks: When using a computer or phone, encourage your child to follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a break and reduce strain.
Potential Risks of High Myopia
When myopia progresses to high levels, it can increase the risk of other eye health issues later in life. The lengthening of the eyeball stretches and thins the delicate structures inside, such as the retina. Managing myopia progression helps reduce these long-term risks.
High myopia is associated with a greater chance of developing certain eye diseases, such as:
- Retinal detachment
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Myopic macular degeneration
Don’t Wait to Discuss Myopia Management Strategies with Us
The first step toward clear vision and healthy eyes is regular comprehensive eye exams for you and your family, as recommended by your eye doctor. Our experienced team at Upper Appleby Eyecare can answer your questions and create a personalized plan to help you or your child see clearly. Book your appointment today to take control of your eye health.
