- OT
- Science and vision
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- Myopia risk
08 October 2021
The starting point for treating any condition is to understand what is causing it to develop in the first place. Although much research has accrued on the topic, there are still unanswered questions about what causes myopia. As Professor Kathryn Saunders notes: “With every new piece of information gained through research, we create more questions that are yet to be resolved.”
Eye care practitioners can use tools like the Predicting Myopia Onset risk indicator (see below) to assess a child’s likelihood of becoming myopic. Saunders highlights that myopia is not simply a genetic condition.Research during the past three decades has supported the idea that the environment a child grows up in has a strong influence on how a child’s eyes grow.
“For example, light exposure appears to influence eye growth and therefore there are strong links between childhood myopia and spending less time outdoors where light levels are higher.”
Studies have also found a link between additional years in education and levels of myopia. As a result, some researchers hypothesise there may be a link between near work and myopia. However, Saunders notes that this could also be explained by the large amounts of time spent indoors that studying involves.
With every new piece of information gained through research, we create more questions
She added that there is emerging evidence suggesting that poor sleep quality and/or disrupted circadian rhythms could influence refractive outcomes and potentially promote myopic growth.
“It is easy to see how our modern lifestyles and environments don’t exactly promote healthy circadian rhythms – perhaps this is also contributing to the rapid increase in prevalence of earlier onset myopia in modern children.”
Dr Sara McCullough on… the Predicting Myopia Onset risk indicator
We developed the Predicting Myopia Onset (PreMO) risk indicator to help optometrists determine a child’s risk of developing myopia, and if the child becomes myopic, their risk of myopic progression using a traffic light system: red (high risk) to green (little/no risk).
We know ECPs already have conversations with children and their parents about healthy lifestyles for their eyes, but we hope this will be a helpful visual aid to really push home the messages for those children most at risk.
Identifying children before they even become myopic is important and early implementation of lifestyle changes to try to delay myopia onset, even by a few years when the eye growth slows down, can make a big impact.
Once a child becomes myopic the risk indicator can be used to talk to parents and children about progression and whether myopia management is needed. The resource can be accessed online.
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