From frequent squinting to holding books, phones, or tablets close to their face; many children around the world experience the challenges of nearsightedness. In fact, nearsightedness, also known as myopia, affects 1 in 3 Americans and affects a quarter of the world’s population.[1]
What does the average parent do when they discover their child has myopia? You take them to an eye care professional and get a prescription for glasses or daytime contacts. However, there are more convenient options to treat myopia such as Orthokeratology (Ortho-K). Ortho-K is a solution for patients with myopia that uses specially designed contact lenses to reshape the contour of the cornea to improve vision. Read on to learn about the importance of regular eye exams and how Ortho-K might be right for your child.
Playing Vision Roulette
Each year without an eye exam can be like playing roulette with your child’s eyesight. Myopia usually begins in childhood at school age, six-years-old and onwards. When left uncorrected, myopia can affect a child’s ability to learn and develop.[1] Nearsightedness isn’t just an inconvenience, if levels of myopia increase over the years a child can progress into high myopia. According to the World Health Organization, high myopia is a severe level of nearsightedness registered at a -5.00 D prescription.
People with high levels of myopia have a greater risk of developing these vision problems later in life:
- Retinal detachment
- Retinal holes and tears
- Myopic macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Premature cataracts[2]
So, what is the best way to maintain and monitor your child’s vision health? Make sure your children see a practitioner at least once a year.
According to Richard Ruth, an Optometrist and Director of Training at Paragon Vision Sciences, “Many parents don’t realize that an eye examination not only checks that their child can see clearly, but perhaps more importantly, the health of their eyes is assessed. I have performed eye examinations on children as young as two, and I urge all parents to have their children’s eyes examined every year in the office of an eyecare professional to ensure they can see well in school and that they are healthy.”
The American Optometric Association recommends a child receives their first eye exam between the ages of 6-12 months. Children who are at risk of developing vision problems should always get an eye exam as frequently as their practitioner recommends.[3]
Enhancing Vision with Paragon CRT®
One option for children with myopia is Paragon CRT® Contact Lenses. These lenses are made for children who suffer from nearsightedness. Paragon CRT® gently corrects a child’s vision while they sleep. Children remove their lenses in the morning and enjoy improved sight throughout the day completely free of glasses or daytime contacts.
Sound too good to be true? Then you might want to know… there are no age restrictions when prescribing Paragon CRT®! In 2002 Paragon CRT® became the first FDA-approved Ortho-K lens for overnight wear.[4] And, more than 1.5 million Paragon CRT® lenses have been fit worldwide.[5]
Myopia is rapidly increasing throughout the world. By 2020, it is estimated that the number of people with myopia will grow to one-third of the world’s population (2.5 billion).[1] With odds like that, Ortho-K lenses such as Paragon CRT® are parents’ best bet for their children’s vision improvement.
Save the Risk-Taking for Vegas
It’s easy to overlook a condition like myopia. Glasses have been around for a very long time and daytime contacts can be an easy way to temporarily enhance vision. But parents need to do more than help their child see, they need to treat the health issue that is myopia. Save the gambling for Vegas and don’t risk your child’s vision. Make sure your child has an in-office appointment with an eyecare professional every year!
[1] Holden, B. A., T. R. Fricke, D. A. Wilson, M. Jong, K. S. Naidoo, P. Sankaridurg, T. Y.
Wong, T. J. Naduvilath and S. Resnikoff (2016). "Global Prevalence of
Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050."
Ophthalmology 123(5): 1036-1042.
[2] Xu L, Wang Y, Wang S, Wang Y & Jonas JB, ‘High Myopia and Glaucoma Susceptibility: The Beijing Eye Study’ Ophthalmology, Volume 114, Issue 2, February 2007.
[3] Recommended Eye Examination Frequency for Pediatric Patients and Adults. Retrieved January 4, 2019, from https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/comprehensive-eye-and-vision-examination/recommended-examination-frequency-for-pediatric-patients-and-adults
[4] FDA Approval Letter
[5] Accounting Letter from internal CRT System - total lenses sold since 2002, 8/14/15