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Myopia

Is the prescription getting stronger every year?

From the doctors at Webb Eyecare

It is one of the most common questions parents bring us, and it is a good one to ask out loud rather than sit with.

First, what myopia means

Myopia is nearsightedness. A child with myopia may see nearby things clearly while objects further away look blurry: the classroom board, the television, a face across the yard.

Glasses or contacts correct that blur, and they do it well. What they do not do is address how the prescription may change as a child grows.

What parents tend to notice

• Squinting at distant objects
• Moving closer to the television, or to the front of the classroom
• Trouble seeing the board, even with glasses that used to be fine
• A new, stronger prescription at each visit

What a changing prescription does and does not tell you

A stronger prescription by itself does not tell the whole story. Children’s eyes change as they grow, and some change is expected. What matters is the pattern over time, measured properly, which is something your child’s eye doctor can evaluate and explain in context.

Why the question is worth asking

Because myopia can change as a child grows, and the conversation about managing that is a different conversation from the one about which lenses to order this year.

Myopia-management options are designed to address more than replacing glasses with a stronger prescription. Which option is appropriate, and whether any is, depends on the individual child. That is a discussion to have with your doctor, with your child’s actual measurements in front of you.

How to raise it at your next visit

You do not need clinical vocabulary. “Her prescription has gone up three years in a row, should we be talking about myopia?” is exactly the right question, and it opens exactly the right conversation.

Myopia control is available at all three of our clinics, in Scottsbluff, Alliance and Bridgeport, and the evaluation that tells you whether it is relevant can happen at whichever is closest. More about myopia control.