Myopia is becoming more common, as knowledge on detection and management increase. When should you start myopia control? Here we present an overview of when you might start myopia management across the spectrum of patient presentations. Since every child and their family are unique, we also point you towards more information for each situation.
Managing unilateral myopia with high astigmatism is complex, especially with reduced acuity. Is myopia control the best approach? Myopia correction versus myopia control is discussed in this case, along with further assessments and considerations in management.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw widespread home confinement, increased screen time in children with home-based learning, and decreased time spent outdoors. Several recent publications have explored the impact of this period of time on the incidence and progression of myopia, lifestyle behaviours, digital eye strain, myopia treatment efficacy and more. What should we now monitor and discuss with our young myopic patients in the post-COVID world?
Will China’s new regulations restricting online gaming in children reduce the myopia crisis? Is there evidence that less screen time increases outdoor time? We explore the links and impacts, positive effects of gaming and advice for parents.
Binocular vision is a much neglected (and even maligned?) domain of eye care where I’ve had numerous colleagues say their professional excitement and learning opportunities have been reinvigorated through seeing the clinical imperative and application in practice. Not only does binocular vision assessment add so much more to your clinical picture, and make optometric life more interesting, it could be the secret sauce that helps us bridge the gap towards 100% efficacy.
The simplest lifestyle intervention we can advise for both our at-risk pre-myopes and myopia development is to spend more time outdoors.
This case study describes two examples of myopia and axial length mismatch – a low myope with long eyes and high myope with short eyes. With axial length becoming more available and crucial in myopia management, it’s important to understand that the relationship between refraction and axial length isn’t always consistent. Find out more regarding the other ocular components that can influence refractive error.
There is general widespread accepted belief that increasing time spent outdoors can be protective against progression of myopia. Xiong et al set out to better understand the research by performing a meta-analysis of 51 clinical trials and longitudinal studies that investigated the relationship between time spent outdoors and the risk of either developing myopia, progression of existing myopia or a myopic shift in refractive error.
The authors evaluated the Rotterdam, The Netherlands Generation R dataset to establish the risk factors associated with change to axial eye length and incidence of myopia in children from age 6 to 9 yrs.
For many children using digital devices is a normal part of their everyday lives and they will use computers and hand-held devices at school and at home. This systematic review collates this published research to illuminate current understanding on the association between the time children spend on digital devices and incidence, prevalence or progression of myopia.
