Tag: Myopia

Vision Screening Vs. Vision Exam

Karen Griffith

The department of motor vehicles, the school nurse and the pediatrician use vision screening to identify vision problems. Screening usually involves standing a given distance from a lettered chart, covering one eye and reading down the chart to the smallest letter possible.

SNELLEN

A vision screening is intended to help identify children with eye or vision problems that threaten sight or impair their ability to develop and learn normally. However, vision screenings are a limited process and cannot be used to diagnose an eye or vision problem, but rather to indicate a potential need for further evaluation.

Screenings are typically designed to detect problems with distance vision, and that is important for children socially and physically, but myopia represents the least risk for reading and learning. A myopic child is more likely to notice that the board is blurry and move to the front of the classroom. Hyperopia on the other hand, makes it more difficult to see things close up and astigmatism effects vision at all distances. Children with uncorrected hyperopia and astigmatism will have more difficulty reading and writing and may not even be aware that the difficulty is due to his or her vision. These are the children that may complain of headaches, avoid reading and school related tasks.
A vision screening test identifies some vision problems, but can miss disorders that have a profound effect on a child’s ability to succeed in school.

During a comprehensive eye examination an optometrist can identify, diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Myopia Prevention

Karen Griffith

It might not be possible to prevent nearsightedness (myopia) completely, but researchers are making interesting discoveries about controlling myopia in children.
One intriguing finding is that kids who spend more time outdoors appear to have less risk of becoming nearsighted. Researchers in the U.K. found that for each additional hour children Myopiaspent outdoors per week. the risk of myopia fell by about 2 percent.
Though the cause for this finding is not fully understood, some scientists believe exposure to sunlight increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the eyes, which may prevent elongation of the eyeball.
So if you want to minimize the chances of your child developing myopia, the best advice to give them might be, “go out and play.”

Stepping away from video games and other screens can reduce visual stress which is thought to contribute to nearsightedness also. Click here to read about myopic stress.

Myopia

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Not seeing clearly in the distance is usually caused by myopia or nearsightedness. Nearly 30% of Americans are myopic. Children with one myopic parent have a 2X greater risk of developing myopia whereas those with two myopic parents have an 8X greater risk. Physical length of the eye seems to be the biggest factor. In addition to heredity, visual stress is thought to be a contributing factor to myopia.Visual stress is caused by too much close work. Even though the tendency to develop myopia may be inherited, its actual development may be affected by how a person uses his eyes. Individuals who spend considerable time reading, working at a computer or doing other intense close visual tasks increase their visual stress and possibly the incidence of myopia.

A common symptom of nearsightedness is difficulty seeing things far away like a movie or street signs. Generally, myopia first occurs in school-age children. Because the eye continues to grow during childhood, myopia progresses until about age 20.

Correction Options for Myopia

Not quite myopia:

  • Some people experience blurred distance vision only at night. This “night myopia” may be due to the low level of light making it difficult for the eyes to focus properly or the increased pupil size during dark conditions, allowing more peripheral,unfocused light rays to enter the eye.
  • People who do an excessive amount of near vision work may experience a false or “pseudo” myopia. The blurred distance vision is caused by over use of the eyes’ focusing mechanism. After long periods of near work, the eyes are unable to relax and refocus to see clearly in the distance. The symptoms are usually temporary and clear distance vision may return after resting the eyes.
  • Symptoms of nearsightedness may also be a sign of variations in blood sugar levels in persons with diabetes or an early indication of a developing cataract.

If you are experiencing blurry vision at any distance give Westside Optometry a call.

Reliability of Vision Screenings

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     The department of motor vehicles, the school nurse and the pediatrician use vision screening to identify vision problems. Screening usually involves standing a given distance from a lettered chart, covering one eye and reading down the chart to the smallest letter possible.
     According to a recent study in Australia, researchers found that results for detecting myopia in 12 -13 year olds was nearly 98%. Good news for the nearsighted, but not so good for the tweens with astigmatism or hyperopia. Only half of the hyperopic children were identified by the vision screening and 25% of the kids with astigmatism were missed.
Screenings are best designed to detect problems with distance vision, and that is important for children socially and physically, but myopia represents the least risk for reading and learning. A myopic child is more likely to notice that the board is blurry and move to the front of the classroom. Hyperopia on the other hand, makes it more difficult to see things close up and astigmatism effects vision at all distances. Children with uncorrected hyperopia and astigmatism will have more difficulty reading and writing and may not even be aware that the difficulty is due to his or her vision. These are the children that may complain of headaches, avoid reading and school related tasks.
     A vision screening test identifies some vision problems, but can miss disorders that have a profound effect on a child’s ability to succeed in school.