Myopia Awareness Week

May 19th-25th is Myopia Awareness Week 2025! This year, the theme is Screens Down, Eyes Up! Extended screen usage can lead to a higher risk of myopia. Be sure you and your family are spending time away from screens!

Myopia is also commonly referred to as nearsightedness. It is the most significant threat to eye health and vision right now. Recent studies estimate that about 30% of people in the world have myopia. That number is projected to rise to 50% by 2050. 

Risk Factors

Myopia most often develops in childhood, though all ages are at risk of developing the condition. The factors that put you at the highest risk are:

• Having a family history of myopia

• Having a refractive error present from an early age

• Prolonged screen time

• Spending a lot of time looking at things up close, such as reading or looking at a phone/computer screen

• Not spending enough time outdoors

To lower the risk of myopia for you and your family, make sure to get enough time outdoors and away from screens. Try not to focus on up-close objects for prolonged periods of time.

Symptoms of Myopia

The following are symptoms of myopia to look out for:

• distant objects appearing blurry, but close objects are clear (you may notice this if you start to need to hold objects close in order to see/read clearly)

• needing to squint to be able to see clearly

• frequent headaches

• increasing difficulty seeing at night

• eyestrain

Myopia can sometimes be difficult to notice in children. They may not mention any vision differences, and the signs may not be obvious to you. Watch your child closely for the following:

• having difficulty reading/seeing the board at school

• sitting very close to the TV/computer

• increasing headaches

• frequent squinting and/or blinking

• seeming unaware of objects that are farther away

• increasing amounts of screen time

• rubbing their eyes excessively

Children with myopia have a higher risk of poor academic performance compared to their peers who have normal vision. This is especially true at the onset of the condition, and can be a sign that your child's vision may need to be checked.

Early detection and treatment of myopia is very important to slow its progression. This helps to preserve your child’s vision, keep their eyes healthier, and keep them at a lower risk for serious eye conditions later on such as cataracts, glaucoma and retinal detachment. These conditions can all lead to visual impairment and even blindness, so we want to protect against them early. 

Treatment

There are several treatment options available for myopia to help correct your vision. For most, eyeglasses are the primary method of treatment. Depending on the severity of your nearsightedness, you may only need to wear glasses during certain activities. Others may need to wear glasses all the time. Contact lenses are another option and may be a better choice based on your personal preferences!

At Bright Eyes, we use the MiSight® contact lenses to treat myopia. These are daily disposable soft contacts designed to slow down the progression of nearsightedness for children. 

It has been shown that, on average, children who wear MiSight 1-day contact lenses progressed less than -1.00D over 6 years. MiSight lenses are the only FDA-approved for children from 8 to 12, and research suggests that they can be beneficial up until age 15. 

If glasses or contacts prove to be unsuccessful, laser surgery or other refractive surgery can help correct your myopia.

Remember to stay observant and watch out for symptoms of myopia, especially if you or your children are at a higher risk. Schedule an exam right away if you start to notice any of the symptoms.