Myopia, also referred to as nearsightedness, is an eye condition that makes it difficult to see things unless they are close to your eyes. This happens because the light rays focus in front of the retina instead of its surface. Research shows that about 40% of the population in the United States is myopic, and this number is on the increase among school-aged children. This is why an eye exam at East Memphis Otpmetry in Memphis, TN, is necessary to detect myopia before it becomes problematic.
Symptoms of Nearsightedness
Most people do not realize that their vision is being affected until they experience severe symptoms. When you notice that seeing distant objects is more difficult than it once was, you should contact our optometrist to schedule a consultation. Some of the symptoms to watch out for include the following:
- Tiredness when playing sports or driving
- Eye strain
- Headaches
It is also possible to detect this condition during your child's early years in school throughout the teen years. Here are the symptoms of nearsightedness in children:
- Rubbing their eyes frequently
- Blinking excessively
- Persistent squinting to see clearly
Controlling Myopia in Children
Given that your child's eyes are in their active growth stage, we use multiple options to control the progression of myopia.
- Orthokeratology: Also referred to as ortho-k, this is a refractive therapy used for myopia control where the eye doctor requests the patient to wear specialty contact lenses. The lenses reshape the corneas, correcting their vision. Keep in mind that this is a temporary correction method because the effects last for a day. Therefore, we require the patient to wear the ortho-k lenses every night before going to sleep.
- Atropine Eye Drops: Patients are prescribed atropine eye drops by our eye doctor. They need to apply the eye drops once per day to manage their myopia progression. There are also cases where we may have to prescribe the eye drops together with bifocal eyeglasses.
Contact us for an Appointment Today
If you or your child is exhibiting blurry vision due to myopia, call East Memphis Otpmetry in Memphis, TN, at (901) 683-4529 to schedule a consultation. When you need an optometrist near me for myopia control or eye care, our team is happy to assist you!
