According to the Health Promotion Board, Singapore is #11in the world for the prevalence of childhood myopia in seven to nine-year-olds.1
Read: Is your child suffering from Myopia? 7 out of 10 Singaporean kids do.
This is a serious matter – something every concerned parent should make a note of to protect their child’s future. That said, if corrected early, myopia will not impede your school-aged child’s formative years.
But what do parents know about myopia?
Ipsos Singapore conducted an online survey to understand the perception of parents about myopia. According to the survey with 204 parents with myopic children aged 7-13 years old in Singapore, 8 in 10 are concerned about controlling the progression of myopia. 70% feel that excessive screen time may be a cause for the disorder.
As for its effects, 7 in 10 parents think that myopia limits the physical activity of the kids, and 37% of the respondents think that the child’s myopia makes them self-conscious about their appearance.
While these perceptions are prevalent – and not all may be entirely correct – the concerns are absolutely legitimate, and you may even find yourself agreeing with what these parents think.
The solution
The good news is, myopia can be corrected and controlled. The limiting nature of the disorder is a thing of past, with the latest advances in eyecare technology. Thankfully, both diagnosis and treatment of myopia have become easier.
For a child diagnosed with myopia, the condition generally progresses and stabilises in the early teens. Thus, the treatment and interventions are more of a corrective nature.
For adults, who have a stable type of the disorder, surgery may be contemplated. For children, however, simpler measures can improve vision dramatically.
Corrective lenses are very effective for myopia. The lenses help the child to focus properly on distant objects. However, that is not enough. Myopia progresses with strain. The child, while using the glasses, may strain to see the near objects properly.
These lenses, also known as single vision lenses, may be suitable for young adults. They are effective in correcting myopia but do not stop it from progressing. From the survey, 7 in 10 children are using single vision lenses. This is worrisome, as the parents already think that the condition has been tackled.
The correct thing to do is to use lenses specifically designed for myopia in children. The upper part of these lenses improves the distant vision. The lower part magnifies near objects, thereby reducing the strain on the eyes.
Myopilux lenses by Essilor have mastered this technology through their myopia control spectacle lenses and provide the perfect solution for correction and control of myopia.
They’re also specially designed for Asian faces – the longer eyes, less-pronounced profile and bridge of the nose – and complement our natural posture.
Beyond treatment
Now that you have found the perfect solution for your child’s myopia, there are still a few things you should keep in mind. Myopia can progress even with the corrective lenses as the child grows up.
Get your child’s vision checked frequently as myopia can still progress as the child grows up.
- Always check with your child’s teachers in case he is experiencing some problems seeing things from afar.
- Test your child’s vision in everyday situations like reading billboards out loud to you.
- Never rely on home remedies for improvement of vision
- Provide good lighting conditions in your home – especially where your child spends the most time reading and studying
- Check on your child’s posture and distance from the TV/computer screen and encourage him to take periodic breaks
- Encourage your child to play outdoors
Let’s improve our children’s eyesight and their futures. Remember that early diagnosis is key, as well as both correcting and controlling myopia, as can be done by Myopilux lenses.
For further enquiries, schedule a visit with an Eye Care Professional. You can find these friendly Eye Care Professionals via the Store Locator page of Essilor.
References
1:Health Promotion Board: Myopia – a World #1 we don’t want for our kids
