Myopia, commonly known as near-sightedness, is a condition that makes close objects appear clear, while objects further away appear blurry. It occurs when parts of the eye refract light rays incorrectly, causing the light to focus on the front of the eye, rather than the back of the eye. McKenzies Compounding Chemist breaks down what you need to know and how to control it.
What Causes Nearsightedness (Myopia)
The causes of myopia vary between individuals, however, the most common causes are genetic and environmental factors.
Genetic Factors
Myopia is known to run in the family. A child with at least one myopic parent is 3 times more likely to develop myopia in their life compared to a child whose parents aren’t myopic. Despite this, many children whose parents have perfect eyesight can still develop myopia.
Ethnicity
Another factor that plays a role in the development of myopia is ethnicity. It has been found that individuals of East and South Asian descent are most at risk, followed by Middle Eastern, Hispanic, African, and Caribbean descent. Children of Caucasian descent are at a relatively low risk of developing myopia, however, in recent years, there has been a gradual increase of myopic children.
Environmental Factors
In recent decades, the prevalence of myopia has increased worldwide due to environmental changes. Some are activities that require the individual to focus at a close distance for prolonged periods, for example playing and learning music, doing school work, and technology use. Another environmental factor that is leading to an increase of myopia in children is modern living. The standard size of a house is becoming smaller and more families are living in apartments and units. The decrease in the living space means that there’s a decrease in viewing distance is also decreasing, hence putting a strain on children’s eyes.
Myopia Control
There is a compounded eye drop available that has been used to delay the progression of myopia in children, this treatment program is known as Myopia Control. This product can be made into customizable strengths according to individual needs and to ensure that the benefits of this product is reached whilst minimizing the side effects. Some of these side effects include light sensitivity and blurred vision as the ciliary muscles of the eyes are relaxed and therefore, the pupils are dilated.
For more information regarding myopia in children, we have listed some below for your convenience:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5347209/
https://www.mykidsvision.org/en-US/what-is-myopia
https://www.kidsorthok.com.au/what-causes-myopia.html