Physicians have observed that myopia or nearsightedness is becoming common among young Americans.
Dr. Kimberly Riordan, an optometrist working with Florida Eye Specialists, explained that the number of people with myopia pretty much doubled from the previous generation. Physicians expect that nearsightedness will continue to be on the rise in the US due to certain lifestyle habits that are common among the younger generation.
Though myopia is a common eye condition, it’s still crucial for you to reduce your child’s risk for nearsightedness. You can help maintain their eye health by understanding the causes behind the eye condition and the possible solutions for it.
Why Are Younger Generations At High Risk For Myopia?
There are many factors that can cause myopia. Unfortunately, experts state that excessive screen is the top reason behind the increasing cases of myopia among younger Americans.
There are many instances when kids need gadgets for schoolwork. However, some parents from Fort Myers admit that they use gadgets to distract their kids in quiet places and other settings. Though these devices can be effective in entertaining kids, parents need to limit their gadget usage because long screen times can increase one’s risk for myopia. Spending too much time focusing on near objects like phones or tablets can cause one’s eyeball to elongate and lead to nearsightedness, which is why more kids have myopia right now.
How to Maintain the Optimal Eye Health of Kids
Reduce screen time
Younger Americans can improve their eye health by reducing their screen time. Unfortunately, this can be difficult to achieve now that kids and teens use their gadgets for school.
In this case, you’ll need to limit their phone usage for entertainment purposes by introducing other activities into their day. To illustrate, you can encourage them to sign up for creative activities, such as dancing, to boost their eye, mental, and even physical health. Kids should also be encouraged to exercise or sleep instead of using their phones for fun so that they maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Get regular eye exams
You can also learn about specific strategies that can improve your kids’ vision by getting regular eye exams.
It’s important to book an eye exam for you and your family because they can help in detecting certain eye conditions, like myopia, ahead of time. Fortunately, there are plenty of local stores in Florida that can conduct an eye exam, which makes it easier for you to book a schedule and get your eyes checked. Make it a point to schedule eye exams every year so that your optometrist or ophthalmologist can assess your and your family’s health status and recommend appropriate treatments for any conditions.
Use proper eyewear
After getting an eye exam, an eye doctor may recommend eyewear to help control your or your loved one’s nearsightedness.
One of the new and emerging eyeglasses created for myopia management is Stellest by Essilor, which has been proven to slow down myopia progression and axial elongation by 63-64% within a one-year period. Another option is SightGlass eyeglasses, which have been proven to be effective in reducing myopia progression by 59-74% and axial elongation by 33-50% within two years. Investing in these eyewear pieces can improve your kid’s vision over time.
It can be difficult to avoid using gadgets in this digital age. As such, it’s crucial to teach younger Americans how to protect their eye health to reduce their risk for eye conditions like myopia.