8 Common Myths About Myopia: Insights from a Scottsdale and Phoenix Optometrist
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common condition that affects many people, especially children. This eye condition is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States, with an estimated 42% of the population affected by the condition. This marks a significant rise compared to the 25% prevalence reported in the 1970s.
Myopia is becoming especially common in children and adolescents, with studies showing that around one-third of school-aged children are nearsighted. The condition is expected to continue growing, largely due to increased near work activities like reading and screen time, combined with less time spent outdoors.
However, despite its prevalence, misconceptions about myopia continue to circulate, leading to confusion about its causes, treatments, and management. As an optometrist in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area, let’s debunk some of the most common myths about myopia to foster a better understanding of this prevalent vision condition.
1. Once a Child Has Myopia, There’s Nothing You Can Do to Slow It Down
Myth: Once a child is diagnosed with myopia, it will inevitably get worse, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Fact: There are several great ways to help slow down how quickly your child's nearsightedness (myopia) gets worse. Treatments like ortho-k lenses (worn at night to reshape the eye), MiSight and multifocal soft contact lenses (worn during the day), and low-dose eye drops have all been proven to help. Depending on your child's eyes and prescription, one treatment might work better than another. That’s why it’s important to have a myopia consultation to learn about the best options for your child. Starting early and working with an eye doctor regularly can really help keep your child’s vision from getting worse over time.
2. Children Will Outgrow Myopia
Myth: Children’s myopia will disappear as they age.
Fact: Myopia, or nearsightedness, tends to get worse in kids and teens because their eyes are still growing, especially with lots of reading or screen time. Even though it usually slows down in adulthood, myopia doesn’t “go away” on its own. Once the eye has grown and become more nearsighted, that change is permanent. Your child will always need glasses or contacts to see clearly, unless they decide to get surgery later on. Surgery is usually only done after the mid-twenties when their vision has stopped changing. That's why regular eye exams and the right vision correction are important to avoid problems as myopia progresses.
Typically, 50% of kids' myopia stop getting worse around age 15, 75% around age 18, and 90% by age 21. This makes it important to start treatment early to slow down how fast their myopia progresses.
3. Wearing Glasses Worsens Myopia
Myth: Wearing corrective lenses will make your myopia progress faster.
Fact: Wearing standard or traditional glasses or contacts can allow your child’s nearsightedness (myopia) to become worse. However, not correcting their vision properly will also make their myopia progress faster than wearing traditional glasses. This is why it is important to utilize special contact lenses, like ortho-k or multifocal technology to help slow down how quickly myopia gets worse in children.
4. Full Correction Causes Myopia to Worsen
Myth: Fully correcting your vision with glasses or contact lenses makes your eyes weaker to rely on glasses full-time.
Fact: Using regular glasses or contacts doesn’t make your eyes weaker, but it also won’t stop myopia from getting worse. In fact, studies show that children who don’t have their vision fully corrected actually see their myopia progress even faster. That’s why it’s important to have your child evaluated for treatments that can help slow down how quickly their myopia gets worse.
5. Spending Time Outdoors Can Reverse Myopia
Myth: Increased outdoor time can reverse myopia.
Fact: Spending time outside in natural light can help prevent and slow down the progression of myopia in kids, but it can’t reverse the condition. Once a child’s eye has grown and they need glasses or contacts, that change is permanent. Outdoor time should be part of a larger plan to manage myopia, but kids with nearsightedness will still need vision correction or other treatments.
It’s recommended that children spend about 2 hours a day outside. It's helpful to take frequent breaks from digital devices, screens, and reading: After every 20-30 minutes of close-up work, have your child spend 5-10 minutes outside or focusing on something far away to relax their eyes.
6. Replacing My Indoor Lights Will Help Slow Down Myopia
Myth: Bright indoor lights are just as good as sunlight for your child's eyes.
Fact: Indoor lighting, even if it's bright, is not a replacement for natural sunlight. Spending time outdoors in natural light has been shown to help slow the progression of myopia in children. Sunlight provides a full spectrum of light that helps eye development in ways that indoor lighting can't. While it's important to have good lighting indoors for reading and studying, it’s still essential for kids to spend time outside each day to support healthy vision.
7. My Child is Too Young For Contact Lenses
Myth: My child is not the right age to wear contact lenses.
Fact: Even infants with congenital cataracts need to wear contact lenses to help their vision develop. At Innovative EyeCare, we've successfully fitted children as young as 3 years old with contact lenses, with the help and responsibility of their parents. We've also had children as young as 8 years old learn to independently put in and care for their ortho-k or MiSight lenses. Children are capable of handling contact lenses safely, and these specialized lenses can be a great option for slowing down the progression of myopia. Your eye doctor can assess if your child is ready and guide you through the process.
8. Myopia Control Treatment will Cure My Child's Vision
Myth: Once my child starts myopia control treatment, their myopia will get better or go away.
Fact: Myopia management treatments are designed to slow down the progression of myopia, not reverse it. Once a child’s eyes have become nearsighted, that change is permanent. With ortho-k, we temporarily change the shape of the eye so that your child doesn’t need glasses or contacts during the day. However, if they stop wearing their lenses at night, their vision will return to its previous state.The goal of treatment is to prevent their myopia from worsening, but it won’t make the existing myopia go away. That’s why it’s important to start treatment early to keep the myopia as low as possible
Final Thoughts
Understanding the facts about myopia is crucial to managing it effectively. Early detection and proper treatment can help slow its progression and prevent complications later in life. If you’re concerned about your child’s vision or your own, consult with an eye care professional for the best approach to keeping your eyes healthy.
