Myopia in children is often difficult to detect because children are not aware of the symptoms. In fact, myopia can interfere with children’s activities, especially in learning activities. Myopia or nearsightedness is one of the eye health disorders that causes a person to be unable to see distant objects clearly. Myopia in children is known to be related to several factors, such as heredity, the habit of reading books too close, often playing gadgets for a long time, and rarely playing outside the house.
Symptoms of Myopia in Children
Some children may not complain or even be aware of the symptoms of myopia in themselves. Well, this is what makes the condition difficult to detect. In fact, myopia in children can cause a decrease in children’s performance at school, especially if they sit at the back of the class and far from the blackboard. Therefore, parents or caregivers at home need to know what the symptoms of myopia in children are. The goal is so that the condition can be treated immediately.
Below are some symptoms of nearsightedness in children that you should be aware of:
- Children complain of difficulty seeing distant objects.
- Children have difficulty or often misread writing on distant objects, such as a blackboard.
- Children are seen often watching television or reading books at very close range.
- Children are seen avoiding games that require more detailed attention, such as coloring and playing puzzles.
- Children complain that their eyes are sensitive to light.
In some children, nearsightedness can also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as looking tired often, complaining of headaches, or pain in the eye area.
Treatment for Myopia in Children
Here are some ways that can be done to treat nearsightedness in children:
- Using minus glasses
If you find symptoms of myopia in your child as above, the first thing to do is to check the condition with an eye doctor. If the doctor confirms that the child is indeed short-sighted, the doctor will prescribe minus glasses for the child. Using minus glasses will help the child see distant objects more clearly.
- Giving your child nutritious food
Giving your child nutritious food is also very important to maintain eye health. Some food choices that are useful for maintaining eye health in children are carrots, green vegetables, fruits rich in vitamin C, and fish rich in omega 3, such as tuna and sardines.
- Ensure adequate lighting when children are doing activities
To help prevent the increase of minus in children’s eyes, you need to ensure that children always get adequate lighting in every activity they do. For example, when they are studying, playing, reading books, or watching television.
- Limiting gadget use
As mentioned earlier, using gadgets for a long time is very bad for eye health. For children under 2 years old, using gadgets is not recommended at all, except for video chatting with parents or family. So, to prevent myopia in children from getting worse, limit gadget use for children aged 2-5 years, a maximum of 1-3 hours per day. Meanwhile, for children over 6 years old, limit gadget use as much as possible while teaching them other better habits, such as exercise and reading books.
- Teaching children eye exercise movements
You can also teach children eye exercise movements to help their eyes feel more comfortable and their vision become more focused. One eye exercise that can be tried is to place a pencil in front of the child’s face. Then, ask them to keep their gaze on the pencil, without moving their head at all. After that, slowly move the pencil closer and further away.
Well, those are some ways that can be done to treat myopia in children and prevent it from getting worse. If you are still curious about other ways, you can consult an expert or your trusted eye doctor.
