Difference between revisions of Guide:My Child Has Myopia
Dlskidmore (talk | contribs) |
Myopia degrees are uncountable and the info here is saying "all lenses, regardless of strength, cause myopia". If you stick a -0.1 lens on a person with -4 myopia, it won't worsen to -4.1 over time. |
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==Welcome== | ==Welcome== | ||
Your kid is very lucky to have you, a parent that goes above and beyond what the doctor says and does their own research. Many parents are concerned that they only see adults on the forums, and wonder if EndMyopia works for kids. The great news is that most of the science that EndMyopia is based on was done on young and growing animals and children, the work on adults is actually more experimental. If your kid is still growing, they have a better chance of rapid improvement than adults, especially if they've just gotten their first glasses prescription. | Your kid is very lucky to have you, a parent that goes above and beyond what the doctor says and does their own research. Many parents are concerned that they only see adults on the forums, and wonder if [[EndMyopia]] works for kids. The great news is that most of the science that [[EndMyopia]] is based on was done on young and growing animals and children, the work on adults is actually more experimental. If your kid is still growing, they have a better chance of rapid improvement than adults, especially if they've just gotten their first glasses prescription. | ||
==Most kids are born [[Hyperopic]]== | ==Most kids are born [[Hyperopic]]== | ||
When your child first opened his/her eyes, they were probably farsighted. As they grow, the eye lengthens, and they become closer and closer to perfect vision. This growth reacts to stimulus it is given, and tunes your child's eyesight for the task distance they do most. If they spend time with screens, books, and table-top crafts, their eyesight will become tuned for those things, very functional at close range, but not very good at distance vision. If they spend more time outdoors, looking at scenery, or doing sports, their eyesight will become tuned for those things, more functional at distance, and needing ciliary muscles to do a little work for close tasks. | When your child first opened his/her eyes, they were probably farsighted. As they grow, the eye lengthens, and they become closer and closer to perfect vision. This growth reacts to stimulus it is given, and tunes your child's eyesight for the task distance they do most. If they spend time with screens, books, and table-top crafts, their eyesight will become tuned for those things, very functional at close range, but not very good at distance vision. If they spend more time outdoors, looking at scenery, or doing sports, their eyesight will become tuned for those things, more functional at distance, and needing ciliary muscles to do a little work for close tasks. | ||
Children born premature or with | Children born premature or with [[Myopia]] inducing conditions may be born myopic. Consult your doctor if your child is not following normal development. | ||
==It starts as Pseudomyopia== | ==It starts as Pseudomyopia== | ||
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Maybe you went ahead and got the glasses a few years ago when the doctor said to, maybe your child has progressed beyond pseudomyopia and you're concerned about continued progression. Don't worry, it's not too late. Start with the same habits, the same program, and your child has a very good chance of literally growing out of it, as long as they continue to grow they can see more rapid results from good habits than an adult. | Maybe you went ahead and got the glasses a few years ago when the doctor said to, maybe your child has progressed beyond pseudomyopia and you're concerned about continued progression. Don't worry, it's not too late. Start with the same habits, the same program, and your child has a very good chance of literally growing out of it, as long as they continue to grow they can see more rapid results from good habits than an adult. | ||
==The first three | ==The first three [[Habits]]== | ||
* Only wear glasses when they are needed. If your child is not in school, and they can participate in all their activities without glasses, just put the glasses away. Talk to the teacher about putting your child up in the front row and testing his/her eyesight on the types of materials the teacher puts on the board, and see if they can do without glasses at school. If they do need glasses for school, emphasize that they are only for use with the board. If your child is too young to manage their glasses, and the teacher can't/won't help them manage them, bifocals with a reading lens or no-power lens in the bottom may be an option. | * Only wear glasses when they are needed. If your child is not in school, and they can participate in all their activities without glasses, just put the glasses away. Talk to the teacher about putting your child up in the front row and testing his/her eyesight on the types of materials the teacher puts on the board, and see if they can do without glasses at school. If they do need glasses for school, emphasize that they are only for use with the board. If your child is too young to manage their glasses, and the teacher can't/won't help them manage them, bifocals with a reading lens or no-power lens in the bottom may be an option. | ||
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==What about this treatment my doctor recommended?== | ==What about this treatment my doctor recommended?== | ||
Only you know your risk/reward tolerance. The conventional treatments do show promise of slowing myopia progression, but not stopping it, and not reversing it. EndMyopia does not yet have long term studies to gauge effectiveness, but it has worked for many people, and the science definitely backs up that minus lenses on growing youth | Only you know your risk/reward tolerance. The conventional treatments do show promise of slowing myopia progression, but not stopping it, and not reversing it. EndMyopia does not yet have long term studies to gauge effectiveness, but it has worked for many people, and the science definitely backs up that excessively powerful minus lenses on growing youth worsenss myopia, which all the conventional treatments will include. Read up on the known side effects of the proposed treatment and make your decision. (Please do read multiple sources and not just these short summaries.) | ||
* Atropine - a chemical that paralyzes both the ciliary and pupil. Although it does partially relax the ciliary, your child may have trouble with seeing near work and with bright outdoor lighting. | * Atropine - a chemical that paralyzes both the ciliary and pupil. Although it does partially relax the ciliary, your child may have trouble with seeing near work and with bright outdoor lighting. | ||
* Multifocal contacts - Gives some of the benefits of bifocals, but can be difficult for a child to manage safely, and comes with a risk of eye infection and corneal thinning. | * Multifocal contacts - Gives some of the benefits of bifocals, but can be difficult for a child to manage safely, and comes with a risk of eye infection and corneal thinning. | ||
* Ortho K - reshapes the cornea at night for temporary good distance vision during the day. Waning eyesight over the course of the day makes this less harmful than all day full correction, but they're still wearing full correction in the morning. Has all the same risks as multifocal contacts. | * Ortho K - reshapes the cornea at night for temporary good distance vision during the day. Waning eyesight over the course of the day makes this less harmful than all day full correction, but they're still wearing full correction in the morning. Has all the same risks as multifocal contacts. | ||
* Bifocals - This is one of the more promising treatments for children too young to manage taking glasses on and off, but may cause physical and social awkwardness as they can not see clearly out of the whole lens, which affects their ability to use peripheral vision and requires them to look around more to see less than even a child in regular glasses. | * Bifocals - This is one of the more promising treatments for children too young to manage taking glasses on and off, but may cause physical and social awkwardness as they can not see clearly out of the whole lens, which affects their ability to use peripheral vision and requires them to look around more to see less than even a child in regular glasses. | ||
* Separate reading glasses, or directives to only wear glasses for distance work - Hey, sounds like you have a promising doc, [[:Category:Community|we'd love to hear more]] about | * Separate reading glasses, or directives to only wear glasses for distance work - Hey, sounds like you have a promising doc, [[:Category:Community|we'd love to hear more]] about them. | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
Jake | * Jake Steiner about Atropine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cylh7gwXOUY | ||
* [[Child Myopia]] | |||
* [[Focus Games for Kids]] | |||
[[Category:Guides]] | [[Category:Guides]] | ||