What is myopia?

Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness, is a condition where distant objects—such as the board at school, road signs or the television—appear blurred, while close-up vision is usually clearer.

Myopia commonly develops during childhood and can continue to progress as a child grows. As the eye becomes longer, the level of short-sightedness usually increases, resulting in progressively stronger spectacle prescriptions.

Both genetic and environmental factors can influence the development of myopia. Children are more likely to become short-sighted if one or both parents are myopic, while factors such as spending less time outdoors and prolonged periods of close work may also contribute.

Myopia is becoming increasingly common worldwide, with research estimating that around half of the world’s population could be myopic by 2050.

Why is controlling myopia important?

Myopia isn’t simply about needing stronger glasses.

In most children with myopia, the eye grows longer than normal. This increase in the length of the eye—known as axial elongation—can increase the risk of certain eye conditions later in life.

Higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased lifetime risk of conditions including:

• Myopic macular degeneration
• Retinal detachment
• Cataract

Generally, the higher the level of myopia, the greater these risks.

This is why modern myopia management aims not only to improve your child’s vision, but also to slow the progression of myopia and excessive growth of the eye.

What is myopia control?

Myopia control, increasingly referred to as myopia management, describes treatments specifically designed to slow the progression of short-sightedness during childhood.

Depending on your child’s age, prescription, eye measurements and lifestyle, treatment options may include specially designed spectacle lenses or contact lenses.

At Airedale Opticians, we can discuss the available options and recommend an individual management plan based on your child’s needs.

Measuring eye growth – axial length

An important part of modern myopia management is measuring axial length—the length of the eye from front to back.

A spectacle prescription tells us how short-sighted your child is, but axial-length measurements give us additional information about how the eye itself is growing.

At our dedicated Myopia Management  Clinic, we use the Topcon MYAH biometer to take precise axial-length measurements.

These measurements can be plotted over time, rather like the growth charts used to monitor a child’s height and weight. This helps our optometrists assess how your child’s eyes are developing and monitor their response to myopia-management treatment.

Rather than relying on the spectacle prescription alone, we can therefore monitor both:

Changes in prescription + changes in axial length

This gives us a much more complete picture of your child’s myopia.

A dedicated Myopia Management Clinic

At Airedale Opticians, we have invested in specialist technology and provide dedicated appointments for children with myopia.

We allow additional time so that our optometrists can carefully assess your child’s vision, prescription, eye growth, family history and lifestyle.

Most importantly, we take the time to explain the findings clearly to both parents and children, so you understand why your child’s myopia may be progressing and what can be done to help manage it.

Our aim is simple: Clear vision today, while helping to protect your child’s eye health for the future.

Find out more

Book a Myopia Management appointment

Speak to our team about your child’s short-sightedness and whether myopia management may be suitable.

We allow more time for our children’s appointments, giving our optometrists a better chance to identify and monitor your child’s short sight over time and also allows our Optometrist to provide clear advice to the parent and child – read more about our children’s eye examination