Navigating the world of childhood ocular health can be a complex and challenging task for parents. The increasing integration of technology into everyday life has raised critical concerns about the impact of screen time on a child's eyes and vision. Parents find themselves with a multitude of questions: How often should we schedule eye exams? What are the signs and causes of common eye conditions like myopia and astigmatism? How can these be cured or managed? What steps can we take to improve our children's vision health? What is the ideal screen time for children?
Addressing these concerns is Optometrist Dr. Koh Liang Hwee, who brings his extensive knowledge and experience in pediatric eye care to the fore. In the webinar titled “Growing Up with Technology: How Much is Too Much” – a part of the Singapore Parenting Festivals 2023, Dr. Koh Liang Hwee provides comprehensive answers to all these pressing questions. He offers crucial insights into the realm of children's eye health, shedding light on the intricacies of myopia and astigmatism, the importance of regular eye examinations, and strategies to enhance vision. In this insightful session, Dr. Koh also elucidates the delicate balance between technology usage and maintaining optimal ocular health, providing much-needed guidance as parents navigate this vital aspect of their children's wellbeing.
Topics on protecting your child's eyes and vision and related questions you'll find in this article:
- Eye Check up Guidelines
- How to Detect and Deal with Myopia
- Understanding Astigmatism
- Caring for Your Vision
Eye Check up Guidelines
At what age should we start to get our child's eyes checked?
The paediatrician will check the child's eyes when he/she is an infant. If you haven't done so, you should get the child's eyes checked as early as possible. Certain eye problems like amblyopia (lazy eye) can be very treatable if it is discovered early. It will be too late if the child reaches eight years old.
How frequently should my child have a regular eye exam?
If no other eye symptom exists, a once a year eye examination is enough. If a child has myopia or wears spectacles, an eye check every six months advisable.
My boy always blinks and rubs his eyes when he looks at a light, like sunlight. Is there a problem with his eyes?
Bring your son to see an eye doctor to make sure he has no other eye problems.
How to Detect and Deal with Myopia
Is myopia common among Singaporeans?
About 83% of our young adults are myopic and it is projected that the percentage will increase to 90% by 2050.
How to reverse myopia?
Axial Myopia cannot be reversed. However, myopia can be corrected by spectacle lenses, contact lenses, refractive surgeries, and cataract surgeries with implants.
Blinking, squeezing eyes, rubbing eyes, redness around the eye area—are these symptoms due to an allergy or myopia?
They can be a sign of allergy, myopia, ingrowth eye lashes, foreign body, or eyelid problems. Bring the child to see an eye doctor.
Is frequent rubbing of eyes a sign of myopia?
Rubbing the eyes can be a sign of myopia. But you need to rule out other eye problems, too, such as allergy and ingrowth eye lashes.
What about overcorrection for myopia? Does it make it worse or is it okay?
Overcorrection for myopia is not good for the eyes.
Does bringing children to movies (in a dark cinema) worsen myopia?
No. It does not worsen myopia.
How much time spent on the screen should we limit to prevent myopia?
It depends on family history, whether the child is already reading a lot, or the age of the child. The usual advice is to minimize hand held devices as much as possible.
Does the risk of myopia lower by watching TV as compared to mobile phone, tablet, or laptop since our child watches TV from a distance ?
Yes.
Watching TV at a distance will not cause myopia. However a myopic child will tend to go near to the TV because he/she cannot see clearly at a far distance. The TV screen should be as far as possible.
If your child is myopic, a TV screen which is farther away is much better than a hand held device in regards to myopia progression. Try to place the TV screen as far from your child as possible.
How is watching screen different from reading books? Both are also causes for myopia?
Both consider near work and prolong near work can cause myopia or make it worse. Screen emits blue light, and the blue component of the light spectrum can affect sleep.
Is myopia correction specs beneficial for adults whereby the degree is not increasing anymore?
Myopia control lenses are not effective for adults when the myopia has stopped progressing.
Is wearing contact lens better than specs to maintain or improve myopia? Does wearing specs strain our eyes as eyes focus on the small spectacle lens?
It depends on case by case. Not all kids are suitable for contact lenses. Let say the kids are suitable for contact lenses and able to handle it well, contact lens is a better option. It follows the eyeball at different angles, so the treatment is more effective. When the spectacle is properly fitted on the face, it will not strain the eyes.
There are those spectacles that people can wear to prevent the blue light from the computer screen. Does it actually work to reduce myopia?
Blue light filters do not reduce or control myopia.
Myopia control lenses sound great but it's also very expensive. So if the child's degree changes, we would need to get a new pair. Hence, I'm hesitant to get it.
You have to weigh against the high chances of getting myopic related eye diseases when your child grows into an adult or when in his/her old age. Myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retina tears are common in myopic eyes. All these are potentially blinding and can be very expensive to treat.
How effective are the Ortho-K/Myopic control lenses?
Depending on the child eye structures, Ortho-K has been shown effective in myopia control. Every child responds differently to the treatment. Strict compliance to the lens care regimen is very important in Ortho-K to prevent complications.
Does the Ortho-K lens reduce the degree of their myopia?
Ortho-K does reduce the degree of myopia. But it is only temporary. Once you stop wearing the lens, the myopia will return.
Can Ortho-K lenses cause infection if worn overnight?
Strict compliance to the care regimen is very important in Ortho-K and other types of contact lens. Failing which, complications can occur.
To reduce the risk of developing myopia, does spending one hour outdoors in the morning and one hour in the evening work?
So far the research shows that daytime outdoors when there is sunlight can provide significant protection for myopia onset. I have not come across any research that says nighttime outdoors has a significant protection against myopia. There are no strict rules on outdoor time, but at least two hours daily will suffice.
Is it better to eat cooked or raw carrots to avoid myopia?
Carrots do not help myopia. But it has good nutrients for the retina. It can slow down macular degeneration.
Understanding Astigmatism
How to reverse astigmatism?
Astigmatism is usually caused by uneven cornea ( shaped like a rugby ball instead like a football). The eye doctor can do refractive surgery to make the cornea more even. Thus removing the astigmatism. Astigmatism can also be corrected by optical aids or with the implant after cataract surgery.
My five-year-old son has just been diagnosed with astigmatism, not myopia. Can wearing specs at his early age reverse this?
Astigmatism will cause blurry vision for distance and near. So that eye with astigmatism would not be able to see images all the time and this will affect the development of the visual cortex. Thus resulted in lazy eye (amblyopia). Once diagnosed, spectacle must be worn all the time. We need the brain to receive clear images, thus it can develop well. Wearing spectacle for astigmatism can reverse lazy eye but not reduce the amount of astigmatism.
Does too bright light cause astigmatism?
Astigmatism is not caused by too much light. It is caused by uneven cornea shape.
Caring for Your Vision
Are atropine drops safe, since it’s a long journey with drops till growth is completed?
Low dose atropine has been shown to be safe so far.
Is staring at green things good for eyesight?
In order to stare at green things (e.g. grass or trees), one has to look out of the window to see far. This can relax the eyes.
What eye exercises can we do to improve vision?
Certain eye exercises can help to make the eyes coordinate and work well together. You need to see an optometrist to diagnose whether the child has any binocular problems. There are different types of exercises for different types of problems.
Is doing eye circles with eyeballs quickly a good way to relax the eyes?
No harm if you find it useful.
What is near work?
Any visual tasks that are within arms' length distance: Reading books, drawing, looking at hand held devices or computers.
How do my eyes know that school time will not count in near work?
Not all school time involves near work. Only the time spent writing, reading, and looking at your laptop counts as near work. If the eyes engage in too much near work, one will experience eye strain. The symptoms are one way your eyes are telling you that you are having too much near work.
What is the difference between reading a book and a handphone? Both are focusing on an item up close.
Handphones emit light, and the blue component of the light spectrum can affect sleep. So far there is no strong evidence that it will affect the eyes in the long run, but blue light has been shown in the lab that it can damage retinal tissues.
What is a good screen distance?
If possible, six meters. In optical terms, six meters or longer, our eyes are considered to be looking at "infinity."
Why should there be no screen time one hour before bedtime ?
Screen emits blue light. Too much blue light affects sleep. Blue light suppresses the production of melatonin. Melatonin regulates our internal clock and sleep.
Do blue light glasses help to prevent eye strain?
Many patients who had blue light filter feedback that it helped them in reducing eye strain.
About the Expert:
Dr Koh Liang Hwee BSC (HONS), PHD (UK) is a highly qualified and experienced optometrist with a strong academic background. With years of experience in the field, Dr Koh is a trusted professional in the industry. He is dedicated to providing his patients with exceptional eye care services, ensuring that they receive the best possible treatment for their vision-related concerns.