When the prescription keeps getting stronger, you are at risk for developing sight threatening eye diseases. It is important to know that there are many causes of and treatments for myopia. Once the cause of the problem is identified, an effective treatment plan can be designed.
Research has shown that some patients experience myopia as a result of their response to visual demands, such as extended periods of reading or viewing computer screens, without balancing it with sufficient outdoor activities. This encourages the progression of nearsightedness at virtually any age.
Myopia usually develops gradually. Initially it may be noticed as a temporary blurring when shifting focus from near to far distances. Then the blur becomes prominent at the end of a school or workday. This cycle repeats itself until the blur at distance is constant. Children will have trouble copying from the board; adults will be aware of blurred road signs when driving home.
The traditional approach to helping people who have trouble seeing things in the distance is to provide them with glasses to help them see far away. Although this may be appropriate in mostcases, when vision continues to get worse, we need to address the underlying causes.
In some cases, therapeutic lenses which can be worn as glasses, may be needed. Another alternative is a special set of contact lenses that are worn at night (called Ortho-Keratology) to reshape the cornea and decrease nearsightedness. During the day no contact lenses or glasses are needed to see clearly in the distance.
When the eyes are working too hard to see up close for reading and/or working on the computer or other digital devices, a program of Optometric Vision Therapy may be recommended for patients of any age who are experiencing increases in nearsightedness at each yearly exam. This can include special lens prescriptions or an active treatment program that usually combines in-office visual activities with home therapy procedures. In very simple terms these are “eye exercises” that help to improve the underlying Eye Coordination or Eye Movement problems that cause this increase to occur.
Children (and adults) with eye movement, tracking and eye coordination problems may also have difficulty understanding what they are reading either in print or on the computer screen. But, because children do not always know how they are supposed to see, they do not complain. As a result, in many cases these vision problems are easily mistaken for attention and learning problems because the symptoms are very similar.
Here are some of the more common signs that you or your child may be struggling with eye movement, tracking and/or eye coordination problems, when reading or doing close work:
- Eyes feel tired, sore, uncomfortable and/or hurt
- Have headaches
- Feel sleepy
- Lose concentration
- Have trouble remembering what was read
- Have ghosting, shadowing or double vision
- Need to reread the same line of words
- Words move, jump, swim or appear to float on the page
- Assignments take longer than they should
- There feels like there is a “pulling” feeling around the eyes
- The words blur or come in and out of focus
- Lose your place
- Poor reading comprehension
In addition, some children might avoid doing schoolwork on the computer, even though they might enjoy playing video games for hours.
If you or your child experience two or more of these symptoms on a regular basis, you need to schedule an appointment with a Developmental Optometrist.
The good news is that we are able to help. Contact our office for more Information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gindi.