Myopia/short-sightedness is the leading cause of visual impairment world-wide. It’s estimated that by the year 2050, approximately 5 billion people will become myopic/short-sighted ( Holden 2016).
So, what is myopia/short-sightedness? It’s basically the eyeball is too long from front to back, so images fall in front of the retina ( nerve layer).
There are a few basic types of myopia:
- Simple myopia- this is most common and starts from the age 8-12 years.
- Congenital myopia- most often in premature births.
- Degenerative myopia- starts from the age of about 5 years and progressively gets worse.
- Drug induced myopia- caused by certain medication.
Types of lenses correction for short-sighted children:
- Single vision spectacles
- Bifocal spectacle lenses
- Multifocal spectacle lenses
- Special multifocal contact lenses.
The specialty lenses do not reverse or stop a child from being short-sighted, it slows down the progression of myopia/short-sightedness.
If you do have children that are myopic, do not hesitate to ask your Optometrist about myopia control lenses.
