The myopia boom – serious problem for kids&parents

Statistics The world have seen a dramatic increase in the condition, which now affects around half of young adults in the United States and Europe — double the prevalence of half a century ago. By some estimates, one-third of the world's population — 2.5 billion people — could be affected by short-sightedness by the end of this decade.

Statistics East Asia has been gripped by an unprecedented rise in myopia, also known as short-sightedness. Sixty years ago, 10–20% of the Chinese population was short-sighted. Today, up to 90% of teenagers and young adults are. In Seoul, a whopping 96.5% of 19-year-old men are short-sighted.

What is myopia about? If your kid has myopia, his eyeball is slightly longer than normal from front to back. Light rays, which make up the images he sees, focus in front of his retina. They should focus directly on it. When this happens, objects at a distance seem blurry and unclear.

Myopia image

When it starts?

When it starts? Nearsightedness usually begins in childhood between ages 6 and 12. During the teen years, as the eyeballs continue to grow, it may develop or get worse quickly.

What cause myopia? Evidence indicates that progressive childhood myopia is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Children whose parents are myopic are also more likely to be myopic, and children who spend more time indoors (reading, watching television and playing computer games) appear to be more at risk than those who spend more time outdoors.

What are the symptoms? Your child may be nearsighted if he or she squints or frowns, gets headaches often, or holds books or other objects very close to his or her face. Children who are nearsighted may sit at the front of the classroom or very close to the TV or movie screen. They may not be interested in sports or other activities that require good distance vision.

Is it dangerous? The condition is more than an inconvenience. Glasses, contact lenses and surgery can help to correct it, but they do not address the underlying defect: a slightly elongated eyeball, which means that the lens focuses light from far objects slightly in front of the retina, rather than directly on it. In severe cases, the deformation stretches and thins the inner parts of the eye, which increases the risk of retinal detachment, cataracts, glaucoma and even blindness. 

How to prevent? Since it’s often inherited, it isn’t totally possible to prevent it. However, there are steps you can take to minimize its effect. Make sure your child gets an eye exam early, especially if you have a family history of nearsightedness or other eye conditions. 

How to prevent?

How to prevent?

How to prevent? Spend less time on unnecessary near work activities i.e.computer games Take a break after 30 min. of near work Spend more time every day on outdoor activities (play ball, go for a walk, have fun at the playground).

How to treat myopia?

How to treat myopia? Eyeglassses Contact Lenses Ortho – K lenses

Ways to treat myopia

Ortho – K lenses –Treat &stop grow of myopia Ortho-k are specially designed lenses that your child wears at night while they sleep. At night, while they are sleeping, the lens will gently reshape their cornea. When they wake up,  they can take off the lenses and have clear vision throughout the day without having glasses or contact lenses.

Ortho-k Lenses

Ortho-k Lenses Ortho-k lenses are also called "corneal reshaping contact lenses" or "overnight contact lenses to correct or control myopia.„

How it works?

Who Can Use Ortho-k Mild to moderate short sighted children and adults (up to 4.5 dioptres)  with or without mild to moderate astigmatism Children whose myopia keeps getting worse Allergy sufferers who find soft lenses uncomfortable Dry eye sufferers or soft lens wearers who find contact lenses uncomfortable towards the end of the day Myopic children who play sports and swim Myopic children  who would like to be glasses free but cannot afford or are worried about the risks of refractive surgery

Who can wear Ortho-K Myopic children whose eyes are still developing and therefore are not candidates for LASIK eye surgery (LASIK is not suggested before the age of 21!) Myopic children and adults who won’t wear their glasses and have been told that their eyes will get worse if they don’t wear their glasses Myopic children who continually lose or damage their glasses.

Regulations

When it started? Ortho-k has been known since the 1960’s when Dr. George Jenssen serendipitously found that a particular design corrected low levels of myopia. Ortho-k was approved in 2003 by FDA for overnight wear.  Extensive studies since 2005 have provided concrete evidence that ortho-k certainly does provide myopia control.  As a result, Ortho-k is the preferred option for myopia control by our optometrists.

Results Eye care practitioners usually aim for 20/20 vision after ortho-k, but 20/40 vision often is considered an acceptable outcome. You should be able to see acceptably well without glasses or contact lenses for a day or two, sometimes longer. For best results, you should wear the ortho-k lenses every night.

Who Fits Ortho-K Lenses?  Optometrists perform most orthokeratology lens fitting, but ophthalmologists also perform ortho-k fittings. It is important to know that orthokeratology is a very specialized type of contact lens fitting, and not all eye doctors who fit contact lenses also fit ortho-k lenses. If orthokeratology interests you, seek the services of an eye doctor who specializes in fitting these lenses.

Start with ortho-k lenses

What To Expect When You Begin Ortho-K The eye doctor will begin by measuring the curvatures of your corneas using an instrument called a corneal topographer — a painless procedure that takes about a minute and produces a topographical map of your eye's surface. Your doctor will use an in-office inventory of lenses for fitting your eyes with ortho-k lenses the same day

How Long Does It Take For Maximum Ortho-K Effect? This depends on many factors, especially the amount of nearsightedness (and possibly astigmatism) you have when you begin the ortho-k process. Some people can have excellent vision after a day or two of overnight ortho-k. But for higher prescriptions it can take two weeks for maximum correction.

Thank you for attention! If you are interested in myopia control or you are facing any visual problem, do not hesitate to contact us. We can offer free consultation for you and your kids. Cult of Vision, Optometry Clinic Limassol, Pythagoras Court 3, office 101 Paphos, Pygmalionos Street 47 office@cultofvision.com 97873157 (Russian&English); 96011216 (Greek); 26955955

www.cultofvision.com