Nearsightedness symptoms in children
Nearsightedness often begins in childhood, and it’s important to have it diagnosed as early as possible. In addition to prescription eyeglasses, an eye doctor can suggest a treatment plan to minimize the risk of high myopia later in life.
It can be harder for children to recognize that something is wrong with their eyesight, so myopia symptoms in children are slightly different than the symptoms in adults.
Parents should be mindful of nearsightedness symptoms like:
Excessive blinking
Eye rubbing
Frequent squinting
Sitting closer to objects like TV screens or classroom boards
Being less aware (or completely unaware) of distant objects
Children who are nearsighted should have regular eye exams to help maintain healthy vision during their school years. Myopia generally stabilizes sometime before age 20, but it can continue to progress in early adulthood.
When to see an eye doctor
Mild nearsightedness usually doesn’t pose a direct risk to eye health, but progressive myopia can. When a child’s myopia worsens with age, it can eventually increase their risk of developing sight-threatening conditions later in life.
Early diagnosis and treatment of nearsightedness can minimize their chances of developing these problems. Make sure to schedule an eye exam if your child is showing any of the symptoms of myopia.
In adults, nearsightedness symptoms can usually be corrected with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. These corrective lenses require a vision prescription, which an eye doctor will provide after a comprehensive eye exam.
Once myopia stabilizes, optional procedures such as LASIK and PRK may be able to permanently correct nearsightedness and its symptoms.
READ MORE: Can myopia lead to blindness?
