Are you struggling with blurry vision or constantly squinting at distant objects?  You might be dealing with myopia!

Currently, 30% of the world’s population is affected by myopia, and the Brian Holden Vision Institute predicts that by 2050, this could rise to 50%.

 

What is Myopia?

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common eye condition where nearby objects appear clear, but distant ones—like a whiteboard at school, the TV across the room, or road signs—look blurry.

 

What Causes Myopia?

Myopia happens when the shape of your eye causes light rays to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This usually occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea is too curved.

Contributing Factors:

• Genetics:
  Myopia often runs in families. If one parent has it, your chances of developing it increase by 1.42 times. If both parents are nearsighted, your risk more than doubles to 2.70.
• Environment & Lifestyle:
  Spending long periods on close-up tasks like reading or screen time without breaks increases the risk of myopia. On the flip side, time spent outdoors helps relax the eyes and can lower the risk—especially in children.
• Screen Time:
  Screens are a major factor in the rise of myopia. Studies show children who spend more than 3 hours per day on screens are 30% more likely to develop myopia. Gaming, scrolling, and binge-watching all contribute to eye strain and encourage eyeball elongation.

 

The Risk Factors Of Myopia

With myopia, you might experience headaches, fatigue, and eye strain. But, higher levels of myopia don’t just make things a bit blurry, they can actually lead to more serious eye problems down the road. 

When the eyeball keeps stretching, as in myopia, the risk of developing conditions like:

• Cataracts (clouding of the lens),
• Retinal detachment (when the retina pulls away from the back of the eye),
• Myopic maculopathy (damage to the retina’s central part),

All go up, which can lead to vision impairment or even blindness. 

 

The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

It’s important to get your eyes checked regularly for myopia because it can change over time.
To ensure that myopia progression is being minimized and you are receiving the most up to date treatment,  your eyes should be tested:

• Under 18: Every 6 to 12 months 
• Age 18-40: Every 2 years
• Age 40+: Every 1-2 Years
• Age 60+: Every 12 months

Managing Myopia at Vision Centre 

Here are some treatment options we may recommend to help manage your myopia progression. :

Healthy Eye Habits:

• Increasing your outdoor time, like spending at least 2 hours outdoors each day.
• Trying to keep near work after school to 2 hours or less.
• Limit the amount of time you spend on screens and remember to take regular breaks.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
• Maintaining a healthy diet that supports your eye health.

Optical treatments:

• Use myopia-control glasses or contact lenses.
• If these aren’t enough, atropine eye drops might help.
• Consider multifocal or orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses to slow myopia.
• In more severe cases, refractive surgery like LASIK can be considered to reshape the cornea and reduce dependency on corrective eyewear.

Binocular Vision Issues:

• Binocular vision anomalies such as esophoria and accommodative lag may also be detected and managed to provide an additional benefit for myopia control. 

 

Comparison of treatment options 

Type of Vision Correction	Effect on slowing myopia progression
Normal glasses and contact lenses	0% (progression of 0.5 – 1D/year)
Progressive/bifocal glasses	20-55%
MiYOSMART (special spectacle lens design)	60%
Multifocal soft contact lenses	30-50%
Orthokeratology (special design rigid contact lens)	30-60%
Atropine 0.01% – 1% (daily drops to limit focusing ability)	30-80%  now only used as second line treatment

 

Your Vision, Our Priority

 

At Vision Centre, we stay up to date with the latest research to offer the most effective and personalised treatment plans for your eye health. 

With regular visits to our experienced optometrists, you’ll be taking the right steps to manage myopia, protect your long-term vision, and possibly reduce your need for glasses.

Have questions? We’re here to help.

Book an appointment today—because you only get one pair of eyes, and they deserve the best care.