A Smarter Way to Manage Your Child’s Nearsightedness
When your child’s vision keeps changing, stronger prescription glasses may seem like the obvious solution. But simply increasing lens power won’t stop their myopia from getting worse—it only masks the symptoms. The good news? There’s a proactive way to slow the progression and protect their long-term eye health.
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is more than a common refractive error. Without the right intervention, it can lead to more serious eye problems down the road. Continue reading to learn how myopia management can preserve your child’s vision now—and reduce their risk of eye disease in the future.
How Does Myopia Worsen?
In children with myopia, the eyeball is longer than normal, or the cornea is more curved than it should be. This change in shape causes incoming light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in blurry distance vision. The longer the eye becomes, the more severe the myopia—and the greater the risk for long-term eye health issues.
Several factors can contribute to progressive myopia:
- Natural eye growth – As children grow, their eyes grow too. In some cases, this leads to excessive elongation of the eyeball.
- Genetics – If one or both parents have myopia, the chances are higher that their child will develop it—and that it will progress quickly.
- Lack of outdoor time – Children should spend at least 1 to 2 hours outside each day. Natural sunlight and outdoor activity have been shown to slow myopia progression.
- Excessive screen time – Prolonged use of digital devices at close range has been strongly linked to rising rates of childhood myopia.
What Is Myopia Management?
Myopia management is a customized treatment program designed to slow or stop the progression of nearsightedness in children. At Tallahassee Eye Center, our optometrists perform in-depth diagnostic to evaluate your child’s current vision, eye growth, and risk of progression. Based on their individual needs, we create a plan that may include ortho-k lenses, atropine eye drops, or specialty soft contact lenses.
These treatments are not about stronger prescriptions—they’re about reducing the risk of serious vision problems later in life.
Why Myopia Management Matters
Myopia doesn’t just impact your child’s ability to see distant objects—it can also set the stage for vision-threatening conditions in adulthood. As the eyeball continues to elongate, it places stress on the internal eye structures, increasing the risk of:
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
- Myopic macular degeneration
- Retinal detachment
The earlier your child starts myopia management, the more effective it is at slowing this progression. It’s a proactive way to protect their long-term eye health while improving their vision today.
Get Ahead of Myopia at Tallahassee Eye Center in Tallahassee, Florida
More powerful glasses aren’t the answer to worsening myopia—but the right treatment plan can make a real difference. Our custom myopia management programs are designed to slow down progression and help safeguard your child’s vision for years to come. The sooner you start, the better the outcomes.
At Tallahassee Eye Center, we provide advanced diagnostic care and proven myopia control options tailored to your child’s needs. Book an https://www.tallahasseeeyecenter.com/contact-us/ with our optometrists today to find out how we can help keep your child’s eyesight stronger, longer.
Give them the gift of sight for life!
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