What You Need to Know About Control of Myopia

Myopia is commonly known as nearsightedness. It is the most common cause of impaired vision in people under the age of 40. 

Its prevalence is highly increasing globally at an alarming rate. With the increased risk of vision impairment from pathological conditions associated with myopia, including retinal damage and glaucoma, the impact of this is hard to determine. It is still inconclusive whether it causes blindness. It is thus better to control it and reduce its progression.

Below are ways to control myopia.

Optical control

Various optical approaches have been evaluated to help control myopia. These are based on a different hypothesis of myopia progressions, such as accommodative lag associated with it and peripheral defocus. The spectacle methods include under correction, progressive addition lenses, and peripheral defocus plus bifocal aid. Contact lens methods include rigid gas- permeable glass, bifocal contact lens, and extended deep of focus lenses. Executive bifocal spectacles and peripheral plus contact lenses are the most effective. They reduce the rate of myopia by 55%on average. However, standard rigid gas permeable lenses do not reduce the rate of myopic axial elongation and might lead to some cornea flattening, thus the use of a bifocal contact lens.

Pharmacological and therapeutic control

As a parent, you might use an online optometrists tool to check whether your child has myopic or not. Be not dismayed if you turn out to be myopic since there are several therapeutic interventions available to control it. Atropine is the most common treatment eye drop for the control of myopia in children. Atropine eye drops are antimuscarinics. They block muscarinic receptors from stimulation by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. These receptors can cause pupil dilatation and block accommodation of light. As much as atropine is considered safe, they have been found to have some potential side effects such as allergic reactions and fixed dilated pupil requiring sunglasses

Time spent outside and behavioral influences

From recent studies, it has been shown that spending more time outdoors can help protect against the onset of myopia. It can also slow down the rate of progression of myopia. Hypothesis state this is because the brighter outdoor sun stimulates the release of dopamine from the retina, which is reported to have axial elongation in animal models of form-deprivation myopia. Seasonal rates of myopia progression, high in the winter and low in the summer, support the hypothesis.

Increasing children’s time outdoor may be difficult, particularly during the school period and weather conditions, but it is essential to try.

Surgery

There are a couple of different types of surgery available to those who don’t prefer glasses. It is mainly for severe forms of myopia. One way of the operation is laser surgery. The doctor reshapes the cornea using a laser.

Conclusion

In most cases, myopia doesn’t cause any health problems. It is a good practice to visit an online optometrists’ tool to know your kid’s status and take the necessary measures. Luckily numerous treatment and control methods enable people to experience no symptoms and live with it. For severe forms, it is essential to contact your optometrist. 

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