Introduction
In many cases hereditary, myopia can also become apparent in childhood. Treatment methods are usually successful if therapy is started early and depend on the age and degree of childhood myopia.
What does myopia in children mean?
Nearsightedness is the most common type of ametropia in ophthalmology and can affect adults and children alike, as it is congenital. The eyeball is too long in this type of refractive error, so that the light rays are focused in front of the retina rather than on it. Another reason for myopia can also be an incorrect refractive power of the cornea or lens.
The consequence of myopia is blurred images of distant objects. In childhood, myopia usually manifests itself at the latest when the child attends school for the first time, when, unlike classmates, the child cannot recognize the writing on the blackboard. Mostly, tension headaches up to migraine occur then.
Indications of childhood myopia
If the child often blinks his or her eyelids when looking into the distance, squinting his or her eyes together and frowning strained, these are important indications of uncorrected nearsightedness. A nearsighted child also often misses the ball when playing with it, because he or she does not recognize the ball correctly from a distance and therefore misjudges when it will be caught.
Treatment of myopia in children
An untreated myopia progresses further and further, so that the eyes continually deteriorate. It is therefore important to watch out for early signs and possibly have them checked by an ophthalmologist. In very severe cases, LASIK, i.e. laser surgery, is recommended, but it is usually waited until the growth is complete.
More common is the treatment of myopia with glasses or, in older children (approx. 10 years and older), also with contact lenses. It is important that the values are actually correctly adjusted to the child’s vision, as overcorrection can lead to persistent headaches.
Therefore, a so-called “80% undercorrection” has proven to be effective, so that the child’s vision is sufficiently sharp, but not “razor sharp”. This is less strenuous for the eyes and usually stabilizes the values instead of worsening them further. Ophthalmologists must be explicitly asked for this undercorrection and many are reluctant to do it at first, but in the long run it is better for the child’s eyes.
