As a parent, you want your child to have perfect health, but sometimes their health can be out of your hands. When it comes to your child’s eyes, you cannot control everything, but you may be able to manage their eye care and keep problems from getting worse.
Reasons Why Your Child’s Vision is Getting Worse
It’s not uncommon for children to develop poor vision at a young age and also for that vision to deteriorate as they get older. In fact, more recent studies suggest that overall children’s eyesight has been getting worse at an earlier age than generations before.1
The exact cause behind this change is still being hypothesized, but many believe that there could be several reasons why children’s vision is getting worse earlier on including increased screen time and less time spent outdoors in natural light. Both behaviors can hinder a child’s eye development and lead to progressive myopia.
Many children who struggle with poor vision at a young age have myopia. Myopia, also more commonly referred to as nearsightedness, is a condition where objects up close appear clear but those in a distance are out of focus. In progressive myopia, the blurry vision typically begins in childhood and gets worse with age because the eyeball continues to grow and becomes elongated.
What to Do if Your Child’s Eyesight is Getting Worse
Although your child’s vision could be deteriorating for several different reasons, it isn’t something to just be ignored. Doing nothing can increase your child’s risk of developing eye diseases at a later age as well as damage their vision further. If you suspect your child’s vision is getting worse, it is time for you as the parent to take action.
The first thing you should do if you notice your toddler’s or teenager’s eyesight getting worse is take them for an eye exam. A comprehensive exam will look at both their vision and overall eye health. This thorough examination gives our doctors insights into not only what the problem is but how to fix it.
If your child is diagnosed with progressive myopia, we do offer myopia control in Milford to help. Depending on your child’s needs, they could be fitted with contacts that can actually slow the progression of myopia and help manage this condition.
Stop waiting to get your child help, contact our Milford eye care center today to schedule their appointment and take the first step to finding a long-term solution.
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