How to Protect Your Young Athlete’s Eyes (April Sports Eye Safety Month)
Getting your kids out to play sports can be great fun, but it’s not without some risks. During Sports Eye Safety Month, let’s go over what you can do to protect their vision.
The Benefits of Treating Nearsightedness Early
Eye problems can come in a wide variety ranging from mild vision issues to illnesses that can cause permanent damage and blindness. One of the most common eye problems is myopia (nearsightedness) affecting almost 30% of Americans.
This condition often starts to affect people during childhood, and catching it early can make it easier to manage as kids grow up. If you or your children are struggling with myopia or other eye conditions, you can find help from the team of experts at Bronx Eye Associates in the Pelham Gardens area of the Bronx, New York.
What is nearsightedness?
Myopia is a type of refractive error in your vision, meaning the shape of your eye is causing blurriness in your vision at specific distances. These types of errors can come from the shape of your cornea, lens, or the eyeball itself.
With myopia (an abnormal axial elongation), you can see things clearly close up, but find it difficult to make out objects at a distance. This leads to lots of squinting when trying to make out objects farther from you, eyestrain, and even headaches in addition to blurriness.
Several factors can lead to myopia, including diabetes, family history, visual stress, and excess time in front of screens.
What age group does it usually start in?
Age is also a major risk factor in becoming nearsighted. If both your parents are nearsighted, your chances are raised by 50%. Research also shows that the number of children with this eye problem is rapidly increasing especially with increased screen usage among younger people.
Why should we treat it as soon as possible?
If your child is struggling with seeing things properly due to myopia, it could lead to various issues such as being able to see in class, interacting with others, and dealing with constant eyestrain and headaches. While many cases are mild, severe myopia can lead to other vision problems like glaucoma, retinal detachment, and cataracts.
Getting the eye tests that confirm myopia makes it faster to correct the problems and improve your child’s quality of life. There’s no downside to getting tested for this condition and treating it is often very simple with corrective glasses or contacts. Additionally, early treatment can prevent myopia possibly getting worse.
If you or your child are struggling with problems seeing things far away, make an appointment with the team at Bronx Eye Associates today to get the corrective treatment you need.
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