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Myopia in children causes prognosis. Congenital myopia (myopia): causes and treatment

Congenital myopia (myopia) is formed due to intrauterine disorders in the development of the eyeball in the fetus. Common causes are intrauterine hypoxia, prematurity, and other disorders in the first trimester of pregnancy.

If one of the parents (or both) suffer from myopia, then the child is also at risk. The predisposition of the visual system to pathology, under the influence of negative factors, in childhood can provoke this disease.

Congenital myopia and hereditary myopia are different diseases, of which congenital is the most dangerous.

For newborn children, a slight farsightedness is considered the norm, due to the shortening of the eyeball. By school age, the situation levels off, and the optical focus stabilizes. In the case of congenital myopia, children are born with an elongated eyeball, which is a dangerous pathology. Due to the fact that the light rays, being refracted, do not reach the retina, disturbances occur in the formation of the visual analyzer. The overall development of the child suffers.

The severity of myopia

Normally, in a healthy person, a light beam or image, refracted on the lens, hits the retina. In the case of myopia, the image does not reach the retina, stopping in front of it. To focus on the subject, the child begins to squint. This is a call to see a doctor to determine the extent of the disease.

Doctors distinguish 3 degrees of myopia:

weak (or 1st degree);
medium (or 2nd degree);
high (or 3rd degree).

Congenital myopia in children initially is always myopia of the first stage. If a child has been diagnosed with such a disease, constant monitoring by an ophthalmologist is required. The initial stage is reversible and successfully corrected in 90% of cases. In infants, starting from the age of six months, it is already possible to carry out a correction.

Treatment of preschool children is carried out with the help of hardware therapy.

It must be borne in mind that myopia, not diagnosed in time, can sometimes progress quite quickly, developing into the 2nd, and even severe 3rd stage.

There are two forms of the disease:

stationary;
progressive.

If ordinary myopia is corrected with glasses, then the 3rd degree of myopia is characterized by pathologies and deformations in the eyeball and retina.

A severe degree of myopia in children of a progressive form develops rapidly, and is dangerous because it can lead to partial or complete loss of vision.

Causes of congenital myopia

The main causes of congenital myopia include:

genetic predisposition;
intrauterine developmental disorders (circulatory disorders, hypoxia);
lack of nutrients due to poor nutrition;
physical overload;
treatment of a false illness in a child,
prematurity.

Causes that provoke the aggravation of myopia:

negligent attitude to the child's complaints of poor eyesight or other signs noticeable from the side, such as squinting;
violation of the rules of visual hygiene, excessive load and overwork of the eyes;
inaction of parents in the presence of a hereditary predisposition of the child to visual impairment, ignoring prevention;
weakened immunity.

Children, as a rule, do not tell their parents on their own that they have begun to see worse:

because they do not yet realize it themselves;
or they are afraid that they will be forbidden to watch their favorite cartoons or TV shows, to play on the computer;
afraid of having to wear glasses.

Therefore, parents (primarily those who themselves suffer from myopia) need to carefully monitor the amount of time spent by their child at screens and monitors. It is important to conduct preventive explanatory conversations, as well as visit an ophthalmologist with children every 3 months.

How to understand what is myopia? Signs and symptoms.

Only an ophthalmologist can determine the presence of myopia in a child at an early age. Small children do not complain about poor eyesight without understanding what good eyesight should be. The task of parents is to be attentive to the health of their children's vision, especially if close relatives have one or more cases of myopia in the family.

Take note that you need to make an appointment with an optometrist if:

a baby at 3 months still cannot focus on a toy or an object that attracts attention;
strabismus was detected in a child from six months and older;
a one-year-old (and older) child brings toys close to his face, squints to look at distant objects, wrinkles his forehead, or blinks frequently.

The student is already able to tell his parents about visual discomfort when trying to see objects from afar, about eye fatigue during long reading and writing.

Symptoms of myopia in schoolchildren:

complaints of headaches, weakness, blurred vision;
the need to bend low over textbooks and notebooks;
redness and inflammation of the eyes.

In such and similar cases, immediately make an appointment with the child to the optometrist.

Diagnostics

The detection and diagnosis of myopia in children is carried out by a pediatric ophthalmologist using modern equipment and techniques. Modern medical research methods are diverse:

Testing the acuity of far vision or visometry - is carried out without auxiliary devices (glasses, lenses) using special tables with letters, numbers, drawings.
The study of the optical characteristics of the eye using special instruments and computer devices or refractometry - the patient is offered to observe images of pictures that either blur or become clear. The procedure is repeated, as a rule, 3 times for each eye. As a result, the ophthalmologist receives a printout of the refractometry data. Comparison of the results of refractometry of different time periods, allows you to analyze the progression of the disease over time.
Inspection of the anterior chamber of the eye or biomicroscopy - examination using a slit lamp, an ophthalmic microscope with a special flashlight.
Examination of the fundus or ophthalmoscopy - checking the condition of the retina, optic nerve and blood vessels of the eye.
Measurement of the length of the eyeball by ultrasound.

Early detection of pathologies and disorders is the key to future successful treatment, as well as preventing complications and progression of the disease.

Treatment

Although myopia cannot be cured with conservative methods, there are many ways to stop its development so that the child suffers as little vision problems as possible in the future.

Conservative treatments include:

Corrective methods - wearing glasses or contact lenses. In the case of mild to moderate myopia, glasses are needed only for distance.
Drug treatment - the appointment of vitamins for vision, eye drops to improve the nutrition of the eyeball, vasodilators.
Physiotherapeutic methods - gymnastics for the eyes, pneumomassage (special glasses that massage the ciliary muscle of the eye), apparatus therapy.

Hardware therapy includes:

electrical stimulation (irritation by electric current),
laser therapy (exposure to a laser beam),
magnetotherapy (therapy with magnetic waves).

Surgical methods in the treatment of myopia in children are rarely resorted to, only with a high degree or rapidly progressive nature of the disease.

Laser correction is possible only after reaching the age of majority.

It is easier to prevent than to cure. Prevention.

It is believed that children who read a lot are more prone to myopia. This is true and false at the same time. It is enough to follow simple rules so that reading is harmless and brings only benefits:

you need to read only in proper lighting;
observe the recommended distance from the text to the eyes of 40 cm;
maintain correct posture and posture while reading.

What parents need to do to prevent myopia in their children:

Prohibit or strictly dose TV viewing for children under 3 years old, computer games - up to 7-8 years of age.
Regulate the daily mode of operation of the eyes: the alternation of "work-rest". If no vision pathologies are found in a child, rest is given after every 40 minutes of classes, and for children with a mild form of myopia - every half an hour. Rest of the eyes means free time, gymnastics for the eyes, looking into the distance.
Take walks with children fresh air, regardless of the weather outside the window.
Monitor the child's compliance with the optimal distance from the eyes to the text when reading. It should be 40 centimeters.
Temper the body, as a prevention of viruses and infections.

Make a balanced diet, taking into account the vitamins and trace elements necessary for the eyes.

Baby eyeball friendly products:

carrots and liver (vitamin A);
citrus fruits (vitamin C);
fish oil (vitamin D);
nuts, seeds, vegetable oil (vitamin E);
red grapes, blueberries, dark chocolate (flavonoids).

Products must contain:

magnesium;
calcium;
iron;
zinc.

It is useful to take multivitamin complexes.

In normal vision, the image is projected directly onto the retina. If the eyeball is similar in shape to a chicken egg (increased in length), then the image is projected in front of the retina, and therefore blurs. Bringing objects closer to the eyes or wearing lenses projects an image onto the retina, so the picture becomes clearer. This is what childish myopia is all about.

What is myopia, its stages

Myopia is an eye disease in which a person does not see clearly those objects that are located far away. Usually myopia in children is detected at 8-10 years old, and by adolescence it intensifies. Statistics show that one in three teenagers suffers from myopia. Congenital myopia is often observed in children of those parents who wear glasses. It is enough that one of the parents had poor eyesight. Studies have shown that it is heredity that is the most common cause of myopia in children.

Recently, cases of eye myopia in children have become more frequent. Myopia can be stationary (that is, vision deteriorates to a certain level, then the development of the pathology stops) or progressive. In the latter case, the disease is a great danger, since sometimes vision deteriorates by several diopters per year.

There are three degrees of myopia:

The very beginning of visual impairment that can be corrected is grade 1 myopia in children. In this case, the baby's vision is worsened to 3 diopters. Fundus changes are minimal, and only occasionally can a myopic cone be seen at the optic disc.
The average degree is the case when the child needs glasses from 3.25 to 6 diopters. The fundus of the eye changes already more: the vessels of the retina narrow, initial dystrophic changes may appear.
High degree - 6.25 diopters. At this stage, pigmentation intensifies in the fundus, atrophic changes, hemorrhages, etc. are observed.

There is false myopia in children - this is a condition that occurs due to spasm of the accommodative muscle due to prolonged stress. This happens due to too long reading, poor hygiene or poor lighting. The muscle cannot relax in time, so when looking at a distant object, the image becomes fuzzy. The danger of false myopia is that it can provoke the development of true myopia. Therefore, it is important to immediately consult a doctor and get recommendations for treatment.

The rapid progression of myopia in children can lead to pathological changes in the fundus, which significantly impair vision or even provoke its loss. If there are signs of progressive myopia, an ultrasound scan should be performed every six months in order to assess the course of the disease.

Signs of myopia, diagnosis

Young children may not always realize that their vision has deteriorated. Parents should be attentive and listen to the complaints of the child.

Signs that may indicate visual impairment may include the following:

The child often has a headache.
The kid gets tired too quickly after reading.
There is a frequent desire to blink.
The child keeps books and objects at close range.
The kid keeps rubbing his eyes.
While watching TV, the child squints or chooses a place closer to the screen.
When drawing or writing, the baby tilts his head too low.

In order to accurately establish the diagnosis, you need to contact an ophthalmologist. He will diagnose and talk about how to treat myopia in children. Having come to the pediatric ophthalmologist with the baby, the mother should talk about how the pregnancy and childbirth went, what diseases the little patient suffered. The doctor will ask about the first signs of a decrease in vision, what the baby complained about and when it started.

The first preventive examination by an ophthalmologist is carried out at the age of three months. The doctor performs an external examination and pays attention to the shape and size of the eyeballs, their location, checks whether the baby fixes his eyes on bright toys. The ophthalmoscope helps to examine the cornea and note if there are any changes in its size and shape. Then the lens and fundus are examined.

The next step is a shadow test. In this case, the doctor sits in front of the child at a distance of a meter and shines through the mirror of the ophthalmoscope. Red light enters the pupil, and when the position of the ophthalmoscope changes, the doctor sees a shadow against the background of a red glow. The way the shadow moves speaks of the type of refraction.

To determine the degree of vision loss, the doctor substitutes a ruler close to the eyes, in which negative lenses are located, starting from the weakest. True, in a 1-year-old child, myopia can be diagnosed only after the use of tropicamide drops.

If there is a suspicion of myopia in children under one year old, then, as a rule, the doctor advises to contact later to confirm the diagnosis or refute it.

In diagnostics, ultrasound is used to determine whether the lens has shifted, whether changes are visible, and whether vitreous detachment has occurred. The type of myopia is determined and the anteroposterior size of the eye is measured.

Treatment

What will be the treatment of myopia in children depends on the neglect of the disease, the speed of its development and the presence of complications. The main task of therapy is to stop or slow down the development of myopia, prevent the occurrence of complications and correct vision. Particular attention should be paid to progressive myopia. The child will have a better chance of preserving his vision if timely measures are taken. Permissible limit of visual impairment per year should not exceed 0.5 diopters.

Treatment of myopia in children of school age is carried out in a complex manner. The ideal option is a combination of physiotherapy treatment, gymnastics for myopia in children and medication. At the most serious stage of myopia or the rapid progression of the disease, surgical intervention is also required.

Initially, the doctor selects glasses for the child. This is not a cure, but only helps to correct vision. If a child has congenital myopia, glasses should be picked up at preschool age. With mild or moderate myopia in school-age children, the optometrist prescribes glasses in order to look into the distance. However, you don't have to wear them all the time. Glasses should not be removed if the child has a high degree or progressive myopia. For older children, lenses can be used.

With a weak degree of myopia, the optometrist may advise wearing "relaxing" glasses - lenses with a slight plus are inserted into them. Thanks to this, accommodation can be relaxed.

A good effect is provided by training the ciliary muscle. To do this, lenses with a positive and negative value are substituted in turn.

There is a method of hardware treatment of myopia in children.

It means the following:

Vibro and vacuum massage. With its help, the muscles of the eye are warmed up before starting treatment on the device.
Color Impulse Therapy. It relieves emotional stress.
Maculostimulation - stimulates those parts of the brain that are responsible for vision.
Electro-, laser and video-computer stimulation. Due to them, visual possibilities increase, myopia stabilizes, and tension is removed from the eye muscles.
Electrophoresis. Medicinal electrophoresis with the use of Dibazol or a myopic mixture has a positive effect on the eyes. It consists of calcium chloride, novocaine and diphenhydramine.

If parents are interested in the question of whether it is possible to cure myopia in a child with the help of hardware treatment, then it must be admitted that this is impossible. Hardware treatment does not affect the degree of myopia and has an effect only with a slight deterioration in vision - up to 2 diopters.

The optometrist prescribes vitamins for the eyes with myopia in children at any stage of the disease. With a weak degree, you need to take complexes with a lutein content. In order to stop the development of the disease and avoid the occurrence of complications, calcium preparations, nicotinic acid, trental are prescribed.

If too rapid progression of the disease is noted or complications appear, the ophthalmologist prescribes scleroplasty. The reasons for it are myopia from 4 diopters, which can be corrected, sharply progressive myopia, a rapid increase in the anteroposterior size of the eye. The essence of the operation is not only to strengthen the posterior pole of the eye to stop the stretching of the sclera, but also to improve blood circulation.

Laser surgery is widely known. It is especially good in cases where it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of breaks and retinal detachment.

Weak and medium stages of myopia in a child give the right to visit a specialized kindergarten. Children at risk must be examined by an ophthalmologist every six months.

Prevention of myopia in children

Methods for the prevention of myopia in children and adolescents depend on the causes of the pathology.

The most common reasons are:

Heredity. The best prevention of myopia in children of those parents who suffer from myopia is regular medical examination, proper hygiene, rest and work.
Congenital anomalies of the eyeball. As a rule, this problem can occur even during fetal development. The task of the mother is to protect herself and the fetus from negative factors, take vitamins and avoid lifting weights.
Prematurity. On average, 40% of premature babies develop myopia. Therefore, it is so important to keep the pregnancy, bearing the baby before the due date.
Unbalanced nutrition. Parents cause great harm to the health of the child if they allow him to eat sandwiches and fast food. The diet should include foods rich in minerals and vitamins. In addition, there are special eye vitamins for children that help with myopia.
Infections and comorbidities. It is necessary to carry out the prevention of acute respiratory infections in order to prevent complications.

In order for parents not to have the question of what to do if the child has myopia, it is important to comply with all of the above preventive measures. If, nevertheless, it was not possible to avoid myopia, and the child was diagnosed with a mild or moderate degree of the disease, do not despair - these stages of myopia do not lead to complications. Glasses will help the child to see any images with good clarity. With a high degree of myopia, vision remains reduced even with lens correction.

Useful video about myopia in children

The vast majority of children (according to various sources - up to 80%) are born hyperopic (good distance vision, poor near vision), which is due to the short anteroposterior axis of the newborn's eyeball (16-18 mm). In the future, as both the child and the eyeball grow, hypermetropia gradually decreases, and in some children it turns into myopia.

Congenital myopia (myopia) in children

Congenital myopia may be associated with prematurity, due to heredity, or caused by pathological processes. It should be noted that in most cases, congenital myopia is characterized by slight changes in the fundus.

Congenital myopia, as a rule, is stable, although, in some cases, its progression is possible. Naturally, children with congenital myopia require the close attention of an ophthalmologist with constant dynamic monitoring. It is necessary to prescribe optical correction as early as possible and to prevent possible amblyopia.

Nearsightedness (myopia)- a disease in which children have difficulty distinguishing objects located at a long distance. This is due to the fact that parallel rays of light coming from distant objects are brought into focus in the plane in front of the retina, and not on it itself, as a result of which the visual acuity of the child decreases. Often this is due to the fact that the anteroposterior axis of the eye is too long. As a result of the elongated shape of the eyeball, incorrect refraction of light occurs, and visual acuity decreases, primarily in the distance.

Ophthalmologists divide myopia into mild (up to 3.0 D inclusive), medium (from 3.25 to 6.0 D) and high (more than 6 D). High myopia can reach very significant values: 15,20,30 D and more.

Nearsighted children need glasses for distance, and many for near vision (when myopia exceeds 5-6 diopters). But glasses, alas, do not always correct vision to a high level, which is associated with dystrophic and other changes in the membranes of the myopic eye.

Causes of myopia(myopia) in children may be different: a hereditary factor, weakening of the sclera, primary weakness of accommodation, prolonged work at close range (sitting at a computer, TV), environmental conditions, impaired visual hygiene, weakening of the body as a result of malnutrition, overwork, various diseases. But most often, myopia (myopia) is due to a change in the shape of the eyeball (lengthening of its anteroposterior axis).

Treatment of myopia in children

For the treatment of myopia, numerous means and methods are used. First of all, the treatment of myopia in children is not aimed at eliminating or reducing the degree of myopia, but at stopping or slowing down its further progression and preventing its complications.

A favorable course for childhood and adolescent myopia is considered to be a decrease in vision at a rate of no more than 0.5 diopters per year. Then it is treated with conservative methods. You need to wear glasses or lenses, give your eyes more rest, do visual gymnastics, sleep and eat normally, observe visual hygiene.

In the children's department of the Excimer clinic, based on the results of the diagnosis, the child is selected a method of contact correction and treated with the help of various therapeutic methods. In addition, a program of individual lessons at home is being drawn up, parents are explained how to test vision at home. The doctor monitors the ongoing changes and, if necessary, corrects the program.

For the treatment of myopia in the children's department of the clinic "Excimer" works: a whole range of modern equipment. Vision diagnostics and treatment are carried out according to special game programs. Therapeutic procedures such as laser, ultrasound and infrared laser therapy, laser stimulation, vacuum massage, magnetotherapy, electrical stimulation are used - their effectiveness is recognized at the Russian and international levels.

Infrared laser therapy procedure

Exposure of the eye to infrared radiation from a close distance can improve the nutrition of eye tissues, relieve spasm of accommodation, which is one of the main causes of myopia. The device for infrared laser therapy provides a "physiological massage" of the ciliary muscle, which is responsible for normal accommodation.
vacuum massage

Vacuum massage uses an alternating vacuum as a therapeutic factor. This procedure significantly improves the hydrodynamics of the eye, provides an increase in blood circulation and, as a result, improves the work of the ciliary muscle.
laser therapy

Laser therapy sessions are used to improve spatial vision, accommodation functions. Laser radiation is applied to the screen, which is located at a distance of 8-10 cm from the patient's eye. The therapeutic effect of laser therapy is due to the observation of changes in the volume and structure of the image appearing on the screen, which stimulate the work of the receptor (nerve) cells of the retina.
electrical stimulation

This is stimulation with a dosed electric current of low intensity. It increases the conduction of impulses in the optic nerve. This procedure is absolutely painless.
Reamed

In addition, in the children's department of the Excimer clinic, for the treatment of myopia, complex "Reamed", developed by leading specialists of the Institute of the Brain. The operation of the device is based on the method of video-computer auto-training. While the child is watching a cartoon, the device, using sensors, takes information about the work of the eyes, while simultaneously recording the encephalogram of the brain. In this case, the image on the screen is preserved only during "correct" vision and disappears as soon as it ceases to be clear. Thus, the device, as it were, forces the brain to subconsciously reduce periods of non-contrast vision. This approach optimizes the work of neurons in the visual cortex, and vision is significantly improved.

For each child, the treatment program is compiled individually, taking into account his age, state of health and general psycho-emotional status. It is very important to take the treatment seriously, not to miss the mandatory examinations and procedures prescribed by the attending physician. This approach allows not only to eliminate the problem, but to give a guarantee to the patient and his parents that when the child grows up, the disease will not return.

Note to parents

The number of myopic children in different countries of the world, and often within the same country, varies significantly. In different regions of Russia, myopia is detected from 2.3% to 13.8% of schoolchildren, and among secondary school graduates - from 3.5% to 32.2%. The peak age period for the development of myopia is considered to be 10-12 years, although recently the number of myopic children among primary school students has been rapidly increasing.

Specialists found an increase in the number of myopic people in northern latitudes compared to southern latitudes and a lower prevalence of myopia among children in rural areas compared to urban ones. The explanation for these factors can be found in the characteristics of the light regime, nutritional conditions, the time spent by children in the fresh air, in the degree of visual load, in sports, etc.

How to determine myopia in a child?

As you know, in the early stages of development, many diseases can be treated much better, this also applies to myopia. The child cannot complain to you that he does not see well, because he simply does not know the difference between "seeing badly" and "seeing well." Therefore, if you notice that your child quickly gets tired when reading, leans low over a book or notebook, periodically complains of headaches, blinks frequently, rubs his eyes with his fists - contact an ophthalmologist immediately! Remember that only a specialist can diagnose diseases in time and prescribe the necessary treatment!

Preventing bad visual habits

But above all, parents should deal with prevention of wrong visual habits at their children. Teach them how to sit properly at a desk. Make sure that during work, the light falls on the book or notebook evenly, at the same time, the head and face should remain in the shade. It is best to study with a table lamp, while leaving general lighting. This is especially important at night. It is necessary to avoid tilting the child's head close to the object of work, the best distance for visual activity is 30-35 cm. It is advisable to exclude various glare or reflective surfaces from the child's field of vision during work. Bad habit reading lying down can be another factor that provokes myopia. It is necessary to take breaks after every 30-35 minutes of work at the desk (for younger students - 20-25 minutes), during which you can have a snack, do eye exercises, warm-up exercises or just relax.

Cost of basic services

Service	Price, rub.)	By map
Diagnostics
Comprehensive examination of the organ of vision and consultation with an ophthalmologist for children under 3 years old ? Determination of individual parameters of the visual system of a child under 3 years old using a complex of pediatric diagnostic equipment with a consultation with a pediatric ophthalmologist.	5300 ₽	5100 ₽
Comprehensive examination of the organ of vision and consultation of an ophthalmologist for children under 3 years of age upon repeated treatment (up to 6 months after the provision of the service) ? Determination of individual parameters of the visual system of a child under 3 years old using a complex of pediatric diagnostic equipment with a consultation of a pediatric ophthalmologist during dynamic monitoring of the state of the visual system	4400 ₽	4200 ₽
Comprehensive examination of the organ of vision and consultation with an ophthalmologist for children older than 3 years ? Determination of individual parameters of the visual system of a child older than 3 years using a complex of pediatric diagnostic equipment with a consultation with a pediatric ophthalmologist.	5000 ₽	4850 ₽
Comprehensive examination of the organ of vision and consultation with an ophthalmologist for children over 3 years old upon repeated treatment (up to 6 months after the provision of the service) ? Determination of individual parameters of the visual system of a child older than 3 years using a complex of pediatric diagnostic equipment with a consultation of a pediatric ophthalmologist during dynamic monitoring of the state of the visual system	4100 ₽	4000 ₽
Comprehensive examination of the organ of vision and consultation MD, professor ? Examination and consultation of professor, MD. Pershina K.B.	9000 ₽	8500 ₽
Consultation of an ophthalmologist for repeated visits of children older than 3 years (within 3 months after the provision of the service) ? Examination and consultation of a pediatric ophthalmologist during dynamic monitoring of the state of the visual system of a child older than 3 years	3300 ₽	3200 ₽
Consultation of an ophthalmologist for children under 3 years of age upon repeated treatment (within 3 months after the provision of the service) ? Examination and consultation of a pediatric ophthalmologist during dynamic monitoring of the state of the visual system of a child under 3 years old	3500 ₽	3300 ₽
Therapeutic programs
	4800 ₽	4500 ₽
	9600 ₽	9000 ₽
	6700 ₽	6350 ₽
	13400 ₽	12700 ₽
	6700 ₽	6350 ₽
	13400 ₽	12700 ₽
	7500 ₽	7100 ₽
	15000 ₽	14200 ₽
	7200 ₽	6850 ₽
	14400 ₽	13700 ₽
	15900 ₽	15050 ₽
	7950 ₽	7520 ₽
	16200 ₽	15300 ₽
	8100 ₽	7650 ₽
	4100 ₽	3900 ₽
	8200 ₽	7800 ₽
	24000 ₽
	16100 ₽	15100 ₽
	8050 ₽	7550 ₽
	9800 ₽	9300 ₽
	19600 ₽	18600 ₽
	10000 ₽

Myopia in children is not just an optical defect that can be easily corrected with ordinary glasses. Among schoolchildren, myopia is one of the most common diseases. By the age of 12-15, every second child suffers from childhood myopia.

Treatment

And so let's figure out how to treat myopia in children? For the treatment of myopia, numerous means and methods are used. First of all, the treatment of myopia in children is not aimed at eliminating or reducing the degree of myopia, but at stopping or slowing down its further progression and preventing its complications.

Excimer KIDS clinics run a special author's program "Myopia Treatment School". Based on the results of the diagnosis, a method of contact correction is selected for the child and treatment is carried out using various therapeutic methods. In addition, a program of individual lessons at home is being drawn up, parents are explained how to test vision at home. The doctor monitors the ongoing changes and, if necessary, corrects the program.

For the treatment of myopia works: a whole range of modern equipment. Both diagnostics and treatment are carried out according to special game programs. Such therapeutic procedures are used as: laser, ultrasound and infrared laser therapy, laser stimulation, vacuum massage, magnetotherapy, electrical stimulation - their effectiveness is recognized at the Russian and international levels.

Infrared laser therapy procedure
vacuum massage
laser therapy
electrical stimulation
Amblyocor

Hardware treatment

Hardware methods of eye treatment can strengthen vision and prevent further development of diseases without surgery. It is especially important that such non-traumatic treatment can be provided to children.

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a serious social problem, as it is one of the main causes of visual impairment in children and adolescents. Since accommodation disorders play a significant role in the origin of myopia, in modern ophthalmology special attention is paid to instrumental methods for the treatment of myopia and its prevention.

Various methods of hardware treatment of myopia have been developed, including laser stimulation of the ciliary muscle, reflexology, and color pulse therapy. In addition, accommodation training is widely used (for example, with the help of the "Brook" apparatus).

The search for new methods of hardware treatment of myopia is being actively pursued, as well as combined treatment techniques are being studied. So, the combined effect, combining accommodation training on the accommodative ruler and laser stimulation of the ciliary muscle, has proven itself to be excellent. For this method of hardware treatment of myopia, there is evidence of an almost twofold increase in the margin of relative accommodation. The combination of these methods is much more effective than conventional treatments. Myopia stabilized in 67% of children who received this treatment.

Color pulse therapy for myopia is also recognized as an effective method of drug-free, hardware treatment of myopia. The device for color-impulse therapy is a special glasses with built-in emitters controlled by a light signal control unit. When using this method of treating myopia, electromagnetic radiation pulses are applied through the eye to the central nervous system. This type of therapy is effective and affordable, as well as compatible with other methods of treatment and prevention of myopia.

Color pulse therapy is also applicable for hardware treatment of farsightedness, as well as laser stimulation or electrical stimulation. In the treatment of children's hyperopia, a combination of spectacle correction (the power of glasses is lower than the degree of farsightedness, which stimulates the work of the eye) and various methods of hardware treatment of farsightedness, as a rule, including elements of the game, has shown itself well.
As in the case of myopia, the hardware treatment of farsightedness is prescribed by a specialist doctor based on the results of the patient's examination.

Causes

Myopia is a progressive disease that is the result of elongation of the eyeball. The scientific name for nearsightedness is myopia. In the presence of myopia, the child begins to poorly distinguish distant objects. This is due to the fact that the rays of light coming from distant objects are brought into focus not on the retina itself, but in front of it. Ophthalmologists divide children's myopia into weak, medium and high. High myopia can reach a value of more than 30 D.

There are several causes of myopia in childhood:

hereditary factor. Congenital myopia accounts for 60-65% of all cases of myopia. The main cause of congenital myopia may be perinatal pathology, or the transmission of the disease to the child by inheritance from the parents. Congenital myopia is characterized by changes in the fundus, decreased visual acuity, astigmatism and anisometropia. These signs are the result of abnormal development of the macular region and the optic nerve. It is also known that children born prematurely are more likely than others to develop myopia.
Elongation of the anteroposterior axis of the human eye, characteristic of the development of acquired myopia. Acquired myopia most often manifests itself in preschool and primary school age, less often in an adult.
External factors associated with constant excessive stress on the eyes due to hard work and impaired visual hygiene. Sitting in front of the TV for a long time, playing computer games, reading in low light can cause myopia.
Improper nutrition of the child, weakened immunity, previous diseases can also cause myopia.

Exercises and gymnastics

Exercises to train the external muscles of the eyes
1. Sitting, slowly look from the floor to the ceiling and back. 8 - 12 times (head is motionless).
2. Slowly shift your gaze from right to left and back. 8 - 10 times.
3. Circular movements of the eyes in one and then in the other direction. 4 - 6 times.
4. Frequent blinking for 15-30 s.

Training of the internal, ciliary, muscles of the eye is carried out according to the method called "mark on the glass" (E. S. Avetisov).

Exercises "mark on the glass"
A person wearing glasses stands at a distance of 30-35 cm from the window pane, on which a round mark with a diameter of 3-5 mm is attached at the level of his eyes.
Far from the line of sight passing through this mark, some object is outlined for fixation. It is necessary to alternately look at the mark on the glass, then at the object. Exercise to perform 2 times a day for 25 - 30 days. If during this time a stable normalization of the accommodative ability does not occur, then the exercise should be performed systematically with a break of 10-15 days.
The first two days the duration of the lesson is 3 minutes, the next two days - 5 minutes, and the rest of the days - 7 minutes.

Physical education for myopic schoolchildren.
Parents should help children to conduct independent studies. These are daily morning exercises, physical education pauses of 15-20 minutes during the preparation of lessons, games indoors and outdoors, special exercises for the eyes. Before starting physical education at home, it is advisable to consult an eye doctor. Schoolchildren with myopia up to 3 diopters without chronic inflammatory and degenerative eye diseases can exercise and play sports almost without restrictions. However, they need to strictly observe the regime of visual work, daily train external and internal muscles eyes, eat right, take vitamins (especially A, C, B), systematically carry out hardening procedures.

Schoolchildren who are diagnosed with uncomplicated moderate myopia (3-6 diopters) are not recommended to participate in competitions. Self-study can include general developmental, breathing and corrective exercises, elements of volleyball (especially working out the top and bottom passes of the ball with a partner), dribbling a basketball and throwing it into the ring, free throws of the ball into the ring; playing badminton, table tennis and tennis, throwing a tennis ball at a target; kicking a soccer ball into the goal, playing a soccer ball against a wall; walking, slow running, slow to moderate swimming, cycling, skating, skiing, hiking without carrying a heavy backpack, and dancing. All these exercises are performed at an average pace, the load is medium.

In addition to a variety of physical exercises, it is necessary to perform special gymnastics daily for at least 10-15 minutes. For older children, exercise time and load may be increased. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or any doubts, be sure to seek the advice of a doctor and a physiotherapist. Their recommendations will help you choose the necessary exercises, properly build classes. This will greatly increase the effectiveness of gymnastics.

A complex of basic gymnastics for girls 12-14 years old with myopia 3-6 diopters
1. Walking in place and moving on toes, on heels. 30 - 60 s. Breathing is rhythmic.
2. Stretching exercises. Pay attention to a deep breath when raising your hands and a long exhalation when lowering them. When inhaling, raise your eyes, when exhaling, lower them. 4 - 6 times.
3. I. p. (starting position) - standing with legs together, arms lowered - about. with. (main rack). Connecting the hands with the back side, raise your hands up and stretch your whole body up behind your hands - exhale. Repeat 8 - 10 times, Separate hands, lower, and. p. exhale. Repeat 8-10 times, with eye movement 4-5 times.
4. I. p. - standing, hands on the belt (options - behind the head, forward, to the sides). Tilts forward with a bent back and return to and. n. The same, but with springy wiggles. When tilted - exhale. 5 times.
5 And n standing hands on the belt. In a stand on one leg, throw the lower leg back, trying to get the buttock with the heel. 7-8 times with each leg.
6. Squats (half-squats) on toes or the entire foot, legs together or apart, with different positions of the hands. 10 - 12 times.
7. I. p. - about. with. Alternate lunges to the sides with a straight torso. 5 - 6 times.
8. Exercises for the abdominal muscles: a) i. n. - lying on your back, arms to the sides. Breeding the legs and reducing them crosswise. Follow the tips of the thumb of one, then the other foot. 6 - 8 times;
b) i. p. - the same. Pull the bent legs to the chest - exhale, return to and. p. - inhale. Look at your knees. b times;
in and. p. - the same. Throwing a rubber ball with straight legs through oneself. Follow the ball. 10 - 12 times.
9. Throwing a ball (tennis, volleyball) to a partner, against a wall, at a target, etc. for 3 - 5 minutes.
10. Playing table tennis, badminton or volleyball for 10-15 minutes.
11. Exercises for the muscles of the eyes:
a) i. p. - sitting. Close your eyes. b - 8 times;
b) i. p. - the same. Blink frequently 30 - 40 s;
in and. p. - the same. Self-massage of the eyes with three fingers, pressing on the upper eyelid without causing pain. 30 - 40 s.
12. Breathing exercises.
On weekends, add jogging in the forest, swimming, outdoor games to the complex.
For younger girls, the load is less and, accordingly, more for older girls.
At the end of each session, it is desirable to count the pulse. Its increase to 110 - 120 beats / min indicates a small load, up to 140 - 150 - about an average load, up to 150 - 170 - about a large one.

A complex of basic gymnastics for boys aged 12-14 with myopia 3-6 diopters (can be performed with a medicine ball or dumbbells weighing 1-2 kg)

1. Walking in place with high hips. Simultaneously circular movements of the eyes for 1 min.
2. Running at a slow, then medium pace for 2-3 minutes (possible on the spot). Breathing is rhythmic.
3. And p. - sitting hands in support behind, legs bent. Flexion of the body. Don't hold your breath. 8 - 10 times.
4. I. p. - standing legs apart, the ball in raised hands. Circular movements of the body. Follow the ball. 3-4 times in each direction.
5. I. p. - the same. Tilt forward, arched, ball behind the head. Raise the ball up and return to and. n. 8 - 10 times. Follow the ball. When tilted - exhale.
6. I. p. - lying on the stomach, the ball is at the top. Bending, move the ball over your head, then lift it up and return to and. n. Follow the ball. 6 - 8 times.
7. I. p. - lying on your back, one hand at the top. Alternate hand movements up and down. Follow the brush, first one, then the other hand. 8-10 times.
8. I. p. - emphasis lying (on hands).
Flexion and extension of the arms. 8 - 10 times.
9. I. p. - standing, hands behind the head. Alternate squats on one leg. 5 times.
10. I. p. - standing, hands on the belt. Swinging movements of the leg to the side and inward (in front of the supporting leg, behind it). 8 - 10 times.
11. I. p. - standing, behind a stuffed ball. Squatting with the ball behind your back, keep your head and torso straight. 8 - 10 times. Combine with breathing: squatting - inhale, when returning to and. p. - exhale.
12. Throwing the ball at the wall, target, partner, etc. 2 - 3 min.

Diagnostics

If signs of deterioration in distance vision are detected, parents, teachers or a pediatrician should take measures to examine the state of the child's visual function.

In the process of external examination of the child's eyes, the pediatric ophthalmologist pays attention to the shape, size and position of the eyeballs, fixing the gaze on bright toys. In the process of biomicroscopy and ophthalmoscopy, the condition of the cornea, the anterior chamber of the eye, the lens, and the fundus is assessed.

The presence of myopia in children from 3 years of age is specified by checking visual acuity near and far, without corrective glasses and with them. Improving vision with a minus lens and worsening with a plus lens indicates myopia. At the next stage, clinical refraction is examined using skiascopy and refractometry after preliminary atropinization.

With the help of ultrasound of the eye, the type of myopia in children (refractive or axial) is determined, the anteroposterior size of the eye is measured.

To exclude false myopia in children, the volume and supply of accommodation is determined. If a spasm of accommodation is detected, a child needs to consult a pediatric neurologist, since this condition is often found in children with vegetative-vascular dystonia, asthenia, and increased nervous excitability.

Prevention

Reducing visual load
When doing school lessons, provide the child with a comfortable workplace: the table and chair should correspond to the height of the child, the room should be well lit. When reading, the distance from the child's eyes to the book should be at least 33 cm. Make sure that during class the child sits evenly, without bending his back and not leaning towards the notebooks. Teach your child after every 10-15 minutes of reading or writing to take breaks for 2-3 minutes to relax the eyes, just look out the window, into the distance, close your eyes for a minute, blink.

Do not allow your child to watch TV or sit at the computer for hours. Doctors recommend limiting computer time to 15 minutes for primary school students, children over 10 years old - up to 1.5 hours a day, with obligatory breaks of 5-10 minutes. The distance from the monitor screen to the eyes should be at least 50 cm, the monitor should be located slightly above eye level.

Preschool children are recommended to watch TV no more than 40 minutes a day, children over seven years old can watch programs from 1.5 to 3 hours a day, with breaks of 15-20 minutes every half hour. The distance from the screen to the eyes must be at least 2.5 meters (depending on the diagonal of the screen, the larger the diagonal, the farther the child should sit).

It is impossible to read in transport, as the book oscillates when moving, and the eyes experience a lot of stress. It is not recommended to read in low light conditions, such as in a dark room under the light of one table lamp. But it is also not desirable to read in too bright sunlight, this also gives the eyes an excessive load.

Nutrition
With myopia, the child's diet should include foods rich in vitamins A (liver, butter, cheese, eggs, various vegetables), C (citrus fruits, rose hips, many other vegetables and fruits), E (vegetable oil, dairy products, liver, eggs , oatmeal, rye bread, nuts). Lutein and zeaxanthin (found in green leafy vegetables, parsley, dill, corn, pistachios) are also needed to maintain the health of the retina.

Fruits and vegetables must be present in the child's diet. Orange-colored vegetables and fruits are especially useful for vision: carrots, peaches, dried apricots, sea buckthorn, persimmons, orange tomatoes, bell peppers. But the carotene contained in orange foods is not absorbed without the presence of fats, so they should be consumed with sour cream or vegetable oil.

Of the berries, blueberries are considered the most beneficial for vision. The diet should contain marine fish, which contains fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats, also necessary for eye health. According to the doctor's prescription, you can additionally give the child vitamin and mineral complexes.

Daily regime
To prevent visual impairment, the child must have the correct daily routine. The child must move a lot, spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. The following sports are recommended for children with myopia: swimming, skiing, running, rowing, figure skating, badminton, tennis, volleyball and football. Games with a moving ball develop the focus of the intraocular muscle in the child, because during the game you need to keep an eye on him and other players all the time.

Sports such as boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, hockey, motorcycling, ski jumping, long and high jumps (and other sports associated with great physical stress, sudden movement of the body and shaking it) are contraindicated. When choosing a sports section for a child, you should consult with your doctor. It is advisable to alternate periods of reading, doing homework with active games, exercise and walks. Sleep is very important for a child with vision problems.

False

False myopia manifests itself as a violation of the functioning of the eye muscle, as a result of which the child loses the ability to maintain a clear vision of objects.

False myopia manifests itself most often in children and adolescents, which is facilitated by a large visual load at close range, the effect of very bright light on the eye, a long stay at a computer monitor, TV, and non-compliance with the rules of visual hygiene.

The following factors also contribute to the development of false myopia in children: poor illumination of the child’s workplace, weakening of the tone of the spinal and neck muscles, improper daily routine, irrational unbalanced nutrition, long pastime at the computer and TV, poor physical shape, poisoning with organophosphorus substances (chlorophos, karbofos and others), psychological imbalance of the child.

False myopia: the main manifestations
The main manifestations of false myopia are blurred vision and headaches.
With untimely and late detection of accommodation spasm, as well as neglect of treatment, it can develop into myopia.

congenital

According to statistics, up to 80% of children are born hyperopic (having good distance vision, poor near vision). This state of the visual system is due to the short anteroposterior axis of the eyeball of a newborn (16–18 mm). In the future, as both the child and the eyeball grow, hypermetropia gradually decreases and in some children it turns into myopia.

With myopia (myopia), the image of objects does not focus on the retina, which is necessary for clear vision, but in front of it. Often congenital myopia is due to prematurity or caused by pathological processes. Also at risk are children of nearsighted parents (hereditary factor). Parents of myopic children need to remember that babies with such a serious eye disease must be constantly monitored by an ophthalmologist and undergo a course of therapeutic and preventive procedures.

Special hardware techniques used today in ophthalmological centers and clinics make it possible to relieve tension from the eye muscles, activate blood circulation and nutrition of all structures of the eye and the central parts of the visual analyzer, increase visual performance, and compensate for visual fatigue.

It is important that optical correction (glasses or special contact lenses) be prescribed at a very early age, since in the absence of the necessary “compensators” for poor vision, a child may develop refractive amblyopia or concomitant strabismus.

Myopia in school-age children

Today, few people can boast of excellent vision. Nearsightedness (myopia) is an eye anomaly that our children are increasingly facing. Especially in the risk group are schoolchildren, in whom the load on the visual organ increases during the years of study. On average, myopia appears at the age of 10-13 years, but its development at an earlier age is not excluded.

What factors provoke the anomaly? What treatments help a child maintain vision? You will find answers to these (and not only) questions in our article.

Myopia in school-age children: causes of pathology

There are two types of eye anomalies: congenital and acquired. The main consequence of the disease is poor visibility of objects at a long distance. In other words, the visible image falls in the plane in front of the retina, and not on its specific area, so the image is fuzzy and blurry. It is the disturbed ratio of the strength of the optical system of the visual organ and its length that causes the development of myopia. The greater the difference, the more severe the form of the disease.

The following factors can provoke an anomaly:

heredity;
the birth of a child before the end of the full term of pregnancy;
congenital anomaly of the visual organ;
congenital glaucoma;
infectious diseases;
unbalanced and malnutrition;
reduced immunity;
general diseases (diabetes mellitus, Down syndrome, etc.).

Often children suffer from an acquired form of the disease, which begins to progress during school. An anomaly can be provoked by:

improper organization of the student's workplace (insufficient lighting, improperly selected furniture, etc.);

violation of posture;

malnutrition;

vitamin deficiency (especially calcium, magnesium, zinc);

long pastime at the computer monitor or TV.

When diagnosing myopia, in most cases, ophthalmologists prescribe vision correction with glasses. But many mothers and fathers mistakenly think that they only complicate the course of the disease. This is an incorrect reasoning, since an eye disease can only progress with improperly selected glasses.

How to recognize an eye anomaly?

Parents should be alert to any student complaints about vision. Especially if the child squints to see the image in the distance, as this is the first wake-up call. In addition, a symptom of myopia is the rapid fatigue of the visual organ while reading or looking at objects.

School-age children, with a decrease in visual acuity, bring text or an image closer to their eyes in order to better see them. And sometimes schoolchildren cannot even read the text written on the blackboard. At this stage, the progression of the eye disease can be stopped. That is why parents are advised not to forget about preventive visits to the ophthalmologist. After all, the sooner the doctor diagnoses the anomaly, the easier it will be to deal with it.

There are several forms of eye disease:

physiological (mainly occurs during the growth of the visual organ);
pathological (myopia, which has a progressive course);
lenticular (the cause of the anomaly is diabetes mellitus, congenital cataract, taking certain medications).

According to the severity of myopia, there are three types:

Weak - up to 3 diopters.
Medium - from 3 to 6 diopters.
Strong - more than 6 diopters.

How is myopia diagnosed?

The first thing diagnostics begins with is a survey of parents and their child about the nature of complaints, the duration of their manifestation, past diseases, as well as the course of the mother's pregnancy and labor activity.

In addition, using an ophthalmoscope, the doctor examines the size and structure of the cornea, lens, anterior eye chamber, vitreous body and fundus.

The next stage of diagnosis is skiascopy. It makes it possible to determine the degree of myopia and the type of refraction. If necessary, an ultrasound examination is prescribed, which allows to identify the presence of complications and the size of the eye axis.

From the age of 3, the survey includes the use of special tables. In case of vision problems, the doctor selects corrective lenses, which also allow you to determine the degree of myopia.

Only after all the necessary examinations, the ophthalmologist prescribes the treatment and the type of correction. However, parents should not forget that school-age children are at risk, so it is necessary to check their eyesight every year. If the child has an eye disease, then visits to the doctor should be made every six months.

Methods of treatment of children's myopia

Unfortunately, at school age, it is impossible to cure an eye anomaly. However, during this period, you can stop its progression. It is possible to completely eliminate myopia only after 18 years (by the method laser correction).

The treatment of myopia largely depends on the degree of its severity. If the disease is progressive, it is important to start treatment on time in order to preserve the child's vision.

Therapy for myopia includes:

special exercises for the eyes;
wearing night lenses (orthokeratology);
medication treatment;
physiotherapy;
strengthening immunity;
correction of postural disorders;
surgical intervention (if necessary).

At the initial stage of anomaly development, gymnastic exercises are an effective method of treatment, which relieve fatigue and tension of the visual organ. An ophthalmologist will help you choose the most appropriate set of exercises.

Also, special glasses-simulators give a positive result. Their main task is to train weakened eye muscles and correct visual function. Such devices are effectively used for the purpose of prevention in adolescents who spend a long time at the computer. Training glasses must be worn for 30 minutes a day.

The traditional treatment is to wear corrective glasses. This method allows you to reduce eye strain and stop the development of the disease. For high school students, you can use special lenses. However, their selection should be carried out only by a specialist.

The orthokeratology method (or wearing night lenses) allows you to change the shape of the cornea. But this method of treatment gives a short-term result, since the corneal cells are constantly updated. However, in most cases, it is the wearing of night lenses that allows you to achieve 100% vision without the use of traditional glasses.

If necessary, the doctor may prescribe medication with drops and vitamin preparations to reduce the tension of the intraocular muscles and make up for the deficiency of vitamins.

To improve blood circulation in the visual organ, electrical stimulation, ultrasound treatment, magnetotherapy, etc. are used.

For children from three years old, you can also use Sidorenko Points. The effectiveness of this device is that it immediately combines several methods of influencing the visual organ:

ultrasonic phonophoresis;
treatment with color and light (color therapy);
pneumomassage;
infrasound therapy.

The advantage of such glasses is that there are no side reactions when using them. In addition, this technique avoids surgical intervention in the progressive course of ocular pathology.

Summary for parents

Myopia is a dangerous disease, therefore it requires strict parental control. If a child has been diagnosed with myopia, then mothers and fathers must responsibly follow medical recommendations and monitor the child’s wearing of glasses or lenses, regularly (2 times a year) show it to a specialist.

In addition, it is very important that parents take care of:

proper organization of the workplace of your student;
balanced and vitamin nutrition;
compliance with all rules when reading.

Well, do not forget to control the pastime at the computer and TV.

Prevention of myopia

Prevention of myopia is a set of measures that prevent the further development of visual impairment.

General information about pathology

Myopia (or myopia) is a violation of the functioning of the organs of vision, in which a person begins to see poorly objects located at a certain distance from him. Such a violation is explained by an anomaly in the structure of the eye, in which light rays are focused in front of the retina. Myopia can appear not only as a result of an increased load on vision, but also as a result of a hereditary factor. According to statistics, half of the couples where parents suffer from myopia have a child with the same disease. However, modern medicine offers many options for the treatment of pathology, its prevention.

The main symptoms of myopia are reduced visual acuity, periodic headaches.

Prevention

Myopia is one of the most common visual defects in the world - every third person suffers from myopia. Moreover, the disease can develop at any age. Myopia is more common in children. This is due not only to the growth of the eye apparatus, but also to adverse conditions and excessive stress on the visual organs of a child at school age. According to medical data, about a third of primary school students suffer from myopia and are forced to use corrective optics. For this reason, the prevention of myopia in childhood is essential on the path to eye health.

Antenatal prophylaxis

It is necessary to start preventing myopia in the antenatal period (pregnancy). This measure is an actual way to prevent the development of hereditary myopia.

It consists in the use of folic acid in the first weeks of pregnancy. Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) significantly reduces the risk of developing abnormalities in the structure of the neural tube.
Experts also note the close relationship between the nervous system and the organs of vision and advise you to follow all the advice of your doctor about taking vitamin B and other vitamins.
It is mandatory to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
In addition, X-ray radiation, etc. is not allowed.

Such preventive measures significantly reduce the likelihood of myopia in a child.

In addition to antenatal prophylaxis in medicine, there are other ways to prevent myopia.

Medical method of prevention

The basis of this method is the use of eye drops, as well as possible vitamin complexes that prevent deficiency of substances necessary for eye health.

vitamins

The lack of important vitamins can affect the stable functioning of the organs of vision.

Retinol (also called Vitamin A) is one of the most important substances in the work of the visual organs. It not only affects the mucous and cornea of the eyes, but is also part of a particularly sensitive pigment that affects visual acuity. The lack of retinol is quite capable of becoming an impetus for the development of visual impairment. It is important to eat foods that contain carotene, since the body is able to independently transform provitamin A into retinol. Carotene is found in large quantities in carrots - there its share is as much as 65%. In addition, it is found in sweet peppers, spinach, parsley and sea buckthorn. For normal functioning, the body needs 1.5 - 2.5 mg of retinol daily.
Vitamin B1 or thiamine affects the nervous system and, consequently, vision. Deficiency of thiamine can provoke pain and pain in the eyes, fatigue of the eye muscles. You can get the necessary dose of thiamine if you include potatoes, tomatoes, nuts and oatmeal in the diet. In total, the body requires 1.5 mg of thiamine per day.
Vitamin B2, also referred to as riboflavin. Its deficiency is quite capable of leading to lacrimation, causing rupture of the capillaries of the eye. The consequence of a lack of vitamin B2 in the body can also be night blindness, "sand" in the eyes. To saturate the body with riboflavin, you need to eat apples, dairy products, eggs and grains. In total, the body needs 5 mg of vitamin B2 per day.
Vitamin B3, also called niacin, is necessary for the stable functioning of the circulatory system and the optic nerves. A lack of niacin provokes a deterioration in blood circulation in the optic nerves. In order to make up for the lack of this vitamin, legumes, meat and mushrooms should be added to food. In total, the body needs 15 mg daily.
Vitamin B6, or, in other words, pyridoxine, is involved in metabolic processes at the cellular level. Metabolic disorders lead to malnutrition of the tissues of the eye, reduces cellular immunity, leads to the development various diseases. To saturate the body with pyridoxine, it is recommended to eat dairy products, yeast, fish, cabbage and grains. For normal functioning, the body needs only 2 mg of vitamin B6 daily.
A lack of cyanocobalamin or vitamin B12 provokes premature aging eye, increased tearing and clouding of the lens, since it has a direct effect on red blood cells and the process of their formation, that is, it controls the circulatory system. Cyanocobalamin is found exclusively in animal products - for example, in the liver, egg yolk and raw milk products. To fill the daily need of the body requires only 0.005 mg of vitamin B12.
In addition, the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are essential for eye health. These substances protect the eyes from ultraviolet radiation, preventing the destruction of the retina. To saturate the body with these substances, you need to eat beans, spinach, peppers, corn and egg yolks.
In addition to the listed biologically active substances, it is necessary to saturate the body with vitamins C, B5 and B9, which help the good absorption of trace elements and minerals.

Physiotherapy

The prevention of myopia with the help of physiotherapy is one of the main methods for preventing visual impairment in children and adults. The method consists in the appointment of a complex of procedures by the attending physician. This can be accommodation training (accommodation is focusing on objects at a large and small distance). Daily exercise is not difficult, but it relieves fatigue from the eyes and develops muscles.

First you need to close your eyes and massage your eyelids a little with your fingers.
Next, in turn, you should perform circular movements clockwise and counterclockwise.
Stretch your arms forward and look at your fingertips. While inhaling, raise your hands up, continue to follow them with your eyes (but avoid turning your head), exhale and lower your hands. Repeat several times.
Find an object located at a sufficiently large distance. During eye strain, look at this object and look for a few moments.
Close your eyes tightly for five seconds and open your eyes again for the same amount of time.
In some cases, other procedures are prescribed.

Hygienic method of prevention

The hygienic method is the observance of elementary rules known to everyone since childhood. For example, do not watch TV closely, do not sit in front of a computer monitor for a long time. Adherence to some of these rules at an early age is a key point in the prevention of myopia in children.

Prevention of myopia in childhood and adolescence

As already mentioned, it is necessary to prevent myopia from an early age. Preventing myopia in schoolchildren is the key to future eye health. Especially if the child has a genetic predisposition to poor vision.

newborn

In the first year of a baby's life, it is necessary to undergo an examination by an ophthalmologist at least three times: at three months, then at half a year and at one year, when the examination is already being carried out, expanding the pupils to determine the true refraction of the eyes. If the child is at risk for genetic indicators, the examination should be carried out more often.

An important role is played by lighting in the baby's room. Playing with small toys, pictures or drawing - in poor lighting, all this increases visual load.
In addition, you should choose books for your child that will have large and clear pictures.
Doctors do not recommend parents to allow children to watch TV until the age of three. After three years, it is recommended to watch TV for no more than half an hour in a row. In addition, it is necessary to provide a distance to the screen of three of its diagonals.

Preventive measures for schoolchildren

Posture and posture are of great importance. Teach your children to do everything at the table: both write and draw. The back should be straight. In this case, the child must observe a certain distance - it must be no less than the length of the child's arm from the elbow to the hand. Ophthalmologists do not recommend reading in a supine position (both adults and children). It is necessary to keep a distance of 30-35 cm.
The workplace should be equipped with additional lighting. Workplace lighting should not be blindingly bright or too dim to avoid eye strain. Soft uniform lighting is recommended throughout the work area. This measure will eliminate eye discomfort when moving from dark to light objects.
For the first reading, you yourself need to choose books in which the font is large enough.
In addition, one of the effective ways to prevent the occurrence of myopia in children during the school period is to change activities. The ideal would be the alternation of lessons and active games in the fresh air.
For children at a young age, ophthalmologists also recommend active sports as a preventative measure (such as swimming, running, and cycling). This measure can also help prevent myopia later in life.

However, in addition to all the above recommendations, the main prevention of myopia in children and adolescents is also timely examinations by an ophthalmologist. Medical care should not be neglected, and in case of deterioration in the quality of vision, it is important to consult a doctor in time to prevent possible negative consequences.

What to do with hidden strabismus

Latent strabismus is one of the types of defects of the visual organ, in which a person has a deviation of the eyeballs from the normal position. In medicine, latent strabismus is called heterophoria. A characteristic feature of the disease is the deviation of the movement of the muscles of the eye.

In a normal state of vision, the human eyeballs work in sync, and the gaze is focused on the desired object.

If a person has a deviation of the eyes in different directions, then most likely he has heterophoria.

At risk are people with vision pathologies, myopia, hyperopia. The disease occurs at any age. Also very often latent strabismus is diagnosed in children. Statistics show that 3% of children have this defect, peaking at the age of 2–5 years, when binocular vision begins to develop.

General classification of stages and forms of pathology

Defect type:

hidden;
vertical;
divergent;
mixed;
paralytic;
friendly.

By time:

permanent;
temporary;
atypical (Down's disease, cerebral palsy).

Reasons for the development of the disease

There are a lot of factors for the occurrence of the disease.

Childhood

Most often, latent strabismus in children occurs due to genetic pathologies, heredity.

Main factors:

prematurity;
mother's use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy;
Down syndrome;
hydrocephalus.

adults

head injury;
inflammatory eye diseases;
neurological disorders;
paralysis;
cataract, and other diseases of the visual organ;
abnormal development of the structure of the human eye;
increased physical activity;
decreased vision;
endocrine disorders.

Symptoms

Pathology can be manifested by the following symptoms:

difficulty focusing on one image;
fatigue;
deviation of the pupils in different directions;
nausea;
periodic immobility of the eye pupil.

Diagnostic studies

To eliminate visual pathology, you need to contact an ophthalmologist.

Usually, to establish a diagnosis, the doctor conducts the following studies:

examination of the patient - it is necessary to identify possible factors in the development of the disease, to determine how pronounced visual deviations are;
fundus research;
checking visual acuity with special drops;
Graefe's method is used.

Treatment

Treatment is prescribed depending on the form of latent strabismus.

The following methods are commonly used:

glasses and lenses;
surgical correction of latent strabismus;
orthopto-diploptic treatment;
occlusive dressing.

After surgery, the treatment does not end, the doctor prescribes procedures and drugs to further correct the defect.

Correction of strabismus with glasses and lenses

This method is used to correct all forms of strabismus. Often glasses or lenses are recommended for patients who, in addition to strabismus, have other visual pathologies: myopia, astigmatism.

Every two months you need to undergo a control check with an ophthalmologist.

Often glasses completely eliminate latent strabismus, especially if correction occurs in childhood. But many doctors note that treatment should be complex.

Surgical correction

This method is indicated only if traditional methods of treatment do not give the desired result. During the operation, the patient's eye muscles are adjusted, lengthened or shortened.

Orthopto-diploptic treatment

This method consists in the elimination of latent strabismus with the help of special devices on which a person performs exercises to restore binocular vision.

Exercise on the synoptophore - alternate or simultaneous irritation of the patient's retinal pits occurs, which leads them to synchronization.

The sequence of images - a round test with a diameter of 7 cm is placed in the medical device ophthalmoscope, it has a horizontally located mark of 5 mm. The human head is placed on the stand of the ophthalmoscope. The test eye is closed. The person looks at the test so that it is projected onto the center of the retina. Within 20 seconds, with the help of a lamp, the posterior ocular pole is irritated. The purpose of the procedure is to achieve stable binocular vision.

Occlusive dressing

The bottom line is that the healthy eye of the patient is closed with a bandage. This is necessary so that the eye, which is deviated from the norm, is included in active work.
The bandage is often fixed under glasses. The period of wearing is individual, the term is determined by the doctor. But it is worth knowing that closing the eyes with occlusion for more than 14 days is not recommended. It needs to be changed every day.

Non-traditional methods of treatment

There are many ways to treat hidden strabismus. folk recipes. Not all of them give a positive result. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor:

Calamus decoction - it is believed that the decoction of this plant has a positive effect on the muscles of the eyes. To prepare a medicinal drink, pour 5-10 grams of dry calamus with hot water, strain. Drink 4 times a day before meals.
Cabbage - Pour cabbage leaves with cold water and cook until the vegetable is completely boiled. Eat every day.
Rosehip - brew rosehips, let it brew, drink 30 minutes before meals.
Needles - needles of pine and spruce have a tonic effect, are often used to treat eye diseases, including those with hidden strabismus. Boil the needles with boiling water, let it brew. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach.

make sure that there are no contraindications - a consultation with a doctor is required, who will select the most effective method;
system - it is necessary to be treated with the chosen remedy regularly, as indicated in the prescription, do not jump from one method to another;
a reasonable approach is to use folk remedies without fanaticism, not to abandon traditional treatment.

Gymnastics

No less effective for latent strabismus are special exercises for the eyes. You need to complete the complex daily.

Exercises for adults and children have slight differences.

Gymnastics for adults

Exercises for adults:

Relax, focus on one point, try to combine two pictures that each eye sees separately. If the pictures are combined, then the exercise can be considered completed.
The person needs to stretch their arms forward and focus on the index finger. Slowly bring it closer to the bridge of the nose, perform 15-20 times.
Look out the window at the farthest point, then look at the object that is nearby.
Draw different shapes with your eyes, figure eight, square, circle.

Gymnastics for children

Young children find it difficult to concentrate on one activity for more than 15 minutes. Therefore, experts recommend breaking up the complex and doing several exercises during the day:

Divide a white sheet of paper into squares, draw different figures in them, ask the baby to show the same ones.
Have the child sit at the desk. A lamp with a frosted lamp should be installed on the table. The distance from the lamp to the child's face should be 40-45 cm. Close one eye with a bandage, turn on the device, attach a plasticine ball 5-10 cm from the lamp. The kid should watch the ball for 30 seconds and try not to blink. The child should see a dark circle with a white base, this is called a sequential image. Then the child needs to be shown pictures until the image disappears.

When performing gymnastics, the child should not be tired or sleepy.

Preventive actions

adults

Try to protect your eyes from infection and injury.
It is strictly forbidden to engage in reading while traveling in transport.
Visit an ophthalmologist regularly.
Do not load your eyes.
Do not self-medicate eye diseases.
Avoid stressful situations.
Go in for sports, running, swimming, tennis.
Perform a complex of gymnastics for the eyes daily.

Children

All toys should be hung at arm's length.
TV viewing is allowed from 3 years old, distance 2-6 meters from the device. You can spend time at the computer from the age of 8, no more than 30 minutes a day.
Nutrition should be complete, it is especially recommended to use foods containing vitamins A, B.
Premature babies should be seen by an optometrist regularly.
The following sports are useful for the prevention of strabismus: tennis, volleyball, basketball.
Older children need to control visual load, avoid reading in dim light, excessive time at the computer and TV.
Monitor the posture of the child, as back problems often affect the visual apparatus.

Read also:

Strabismus in infants
Exotropia
convergent strabismus

Myopia (nearsightedness) in school-age children is quite common. According to medical statistics, almost a third of high school students suffer from such visual impairment. Ophthalmologists even gave an unofficial name for this pathology - "school myopia".

The reason why myopia occurs in school-age children is quite understandable. This is the increased load that a child's eyes receive when he begins to learn. Moreover, eye strain occurs not only in school lessons, but also at home, during the preparation of homework. In connection with the relevance of this problem, many parents and teachers are concerned about the methods of dealing with this pathology and ways to prevent it.

Mechanism of myopia

The problem of myopia is very well studied by doctors. The mechanism of development of this pathology is also known. Children suffering from myopia see well those objects that are near. But with those objects that are located far away, problems arise: there is no clarity of the image.

The physiological cause of such a problem may lie in the condition of the eyeball. It either has an elongated shape, or its cornea refracts the image too much. Such violations lead to the fact that the image is focused not on the retina, as it should be in the norm, but in front of it. Due to such violations, the child cannot clearly see objects that are far away.

Causes of school myopia

The eyeball may be deformed due to a genetic predisposition. Such a pathology also occurs as a result of large visual loads that occur in the process of schooling.

Of course, myopia can be detected in children of any age. However, most often such a pathology occurs during the period of schooling (from seven to fourteen years). Moreover, not only those children who have a genetic predisposition become victims of a strong academic load. Myopia is also detected in completely healthy schoolchildren.

The causes of myopia at such a young age are not only increased training loads, which are a real stress for the visual organs that have not yet strengthened. Modern children use mobile phones a lot, play computer games with enthusiasm and spend a lot of time in front of the TV screen. How does all this affect the eyes? In a normal state, the visual system perceives objects that are at a distance from the child well. But in order to see nearby objects, the eye must strain, while using its focusing apparatus (to change the shape of the lens by deforming the muscular system). But what happens with frequent and prolonged loads? Muscles cease to relax and take their original position.

Ophthalmologists call this phenomenon "accommodation spasm". Symptoms of pathology are similar to those that occur when myopia occurs. That is why the spasm of accommodation is also called false myopia. This pathology occurs due to:

Poor lighting of the workplace;
- violations of the tone of the cervical and spinal muscles;
- not proper diet nutrition;
- a significant load on the visual organs due to their long-term focusing on objects located at a short distance;
- long stay at the computer;
- violations in the psychological sphere;
- non-compliance with the rules of eye hygiene;
- Wrong daily routine.

False myopia in school-age children is curable. It is only necessary to identify this pathology in time and take all appropriate measures to get rid of it. Otherwise, the eye will have to adapt to new conditions for it, which in most cases leads to true anatomical myopia.

Myopia symptoms

It can be very difficult to determine myopia at school age. Many children simply cannot decide how well they see. Even when a visual defect leads to a decrease in academic performance, they are sometimes simply not able to explain the true reason for the appearance of poor grades in the diary.

Parents may suspect myopia in a child if they:

Frowns or squints when looking into the distance;
- often complains of headaches;
- holds textbooks and other objects very close to the face;
- Frequently blinking or rubbing eyes.

What to do with the appearance of school myopia?

What measures should parents take if their child has the first signs of myopia? First of all, you should take your child to the doctor. The specialist will select the correction of this disease and prescribe the necessary therapy.

If myopia is found in school-age children, the treatment of this pathology should take place depending on its degree. When prescribing a course, the doctor will also take into account the existing complications and the progression of myopia.

Parents should be aware that this problem cannot be completely eliminated. The most important task of therapy will be to stop the pathology or slow its progression. It also includes vision correction and prevention of complications.

It is especially important to pay close attention to school myopia, which has a progressive form. It occurs if the child's vision falls by more than half a diopter per year. Timely treatment for such a pathology will give more chances to save vision.

Myopia correction

If myopia is found in schoolchildren, treatment begins with the selection of glasses. This will correct your vision. By and large, it cannot be called a cure. However, glasses in childhood reduce the progression of myopia. It does this by eliminating eye strain.

If there is mild or moderate myopia in school-age children, treatment with glasses should not consist in wearing them all the time. They are recommended only for distance. But it happens that the child feels quite comfortable without glasses. In this case, you should not force them to wear.

A child may have a high degree of myopia or its progressive form. In this case, permanent wearing of glasses is recommended. This is especially true when a student develops divergent strabismus. Glasses will help prevent amblyopia.

Older children can use contact lenses. They are especially relevant for anisometropia, when there is a large difference in refraction between the eyes (more than 2 diopters).

Orthokeratological method

What other ways can there be to eliminate the pathology if myopia is found in school-age children? Treatment is sometimes carried out using the orthokeratological method. It involves the wearing of special lenses by the child. These devices change the shape of the cornea, making it flatter. However, it should be borne in mind that with this method, the elimination of the pathology is possible only within one or two days. After that, the cornea restores its shape.

Use of special tools

What other ways are there to eliminate the pathology if myopia is found in school-age children? Treatment can be carried out with the help of "relaxing glasses". They have weakly positive lenses. This allows you to reduce accommodation.

Physicians have developed one more glasses. They are called "Laser Vision". These glasses slightly improve distance vision, but they do not have a therapeutic effect.
If myopia occurs in school-age children, treatment at home can be carried out using special computer programs. They relax the eye muscles and relieve their spasm.

Also exists a large number of hardware methods for the treatment of myopia. These include vacuum massage and electrical stimulation, infrared type laser therapy, etc.

Drugs for getting rid of myopia

What medications are used to treat myopia in school-age children? Preparations for getting rid of this pathology should be prescribed by a doctor together with the implementation of special exercises, as well as observing the correct diet and daily routine.

With a weak degree of the disease, complexes consisting of minerals and vitamins are recommended. It is good if lutein is included in the composition of such preparations. Vitamin-mineral complexes are of great importance in the elimination of myopia in children, as they will prevent the further development of pathology and reduce the likelihood of complications. Sometimes a specialist prescribes calcium preparations and Trental.

One of the causes of myopia can be retinal dystrophy. How, then, to treat myopia in school-age children? Tablets to eliminate this phenomenon should act on the vessels of the retina, improving blood circulation in them. Such an effect is exerted by the preparations "Vikasol", "Emoxicin", "Ditsinon" and others. However, it should be borne in mind that vasodilators are not prescribed for existing hemorrhages.

In the case when, with myopia, the formation of pathological foci occurs, absorbable drugs are used. It can be such means as Lidaza and Fibrinolysin.

The use of drugs for false myopia

In the case when myopia in a schoolchild is associated with a spasm of the ocular ciliary muscle, it becomes necessary to relax it. In this case, the ophthalmologist prescribes special drops to the child. Moreover, their use should be combined with visual exercises.

The composition of the relaxing drops includes atropine. This substance is found in the leaves and seeds of some plants and is a poisonous alkaloid. Drugs with atropine increase intraocular pressure. They dilate the pupil and lead to accommodation paralysis. In other words, there is a change in focal length. The paralysis caused by the action of the drug lasts for 4-6 hours, after which the muscle relaxes.

The course of such treatment usually lasts for a month. In this case, a drug such as Irifrin can be used, which alternates with Midrialil or Tropicamide.

Surgery

With progressive myopia, as well as with the development of various complications, corrective therapy will not be able to cope with the pathology. In such cases, scleroplasty is used, which is one of the methods of surgical treatment.
The basis for its implementation is rapidly worsening myopia (more than one diopter per year). As a result of the operation, the posterior pole of the eye is strengthened and its blood circulation improves.

What else can be applied to eliminate myopia in children of school age, treatment? Reviews of experts highly appreciate the possibilities of laser surgery. This method will be especially effective in a progressive disease as a measure to prevent retinal detachment and the appearance of breaks in it.

Gymnastics for the eyes

In order to stop myopia in a child, it is necessary to use complex therapy, which, in addition to taking medicines should include non-pharmacological methods. One of them is eye exercises. Proper selection of exercises allows you to strengthen the muscles and exercise constant control over their condition. Moreover, such a complex is effective not only as a treatment, but also for the prevention of myopia.

And here you can use the exercises recommended by Zhdanov. This Russian scientist and public figure is known as the author of a method for restoring vision without surgery. In his methods, he combined some touches from the practice of yogis and the development of Bates.

How, when using this method, should myopia be eliminated in school-age children? Treatment according to Zhdanov involves the use of a complex that includes:

Palming (laying hands over closed eyes);
- exercises with blinking;
- relaxation with closed eyes with visualization of pleasant memories;
- exercise "Snake", in which you should lead your eyes along an imaginary sinusoid;
- solarization, that is, a short stop of the gaze on a candle located in a dark room.

Healthy foods

How should the treatment be done to eliminate myopia in schoolchildren? Nutrition along with ongoing therapy should include foods rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Chromium and copper, zinc and magnesium are especially important for the eyes. It is also advisable to consume foods rich in vitamins A and D.

Thus, to treat myopia, you need to eat:

Black and gray bread, as well as its varieties with bran;
- meat of poultry, rabbit, as well as lamb and beef;
- seafood;
- dairy, vegetarian and fish soups;
- vegetables (fresh, colored, sea and sauerkraut, broccoli and beets, young green pea, sweet peppers and carrots);
- buckwheat, oatmeal, dark pasta;
- dairy products;
- eggs;
- prunes, figs, dried apricots, raisins;
- vegetable fats in the form of linseed, olive and mustard oils;
- green tea, compotes, fresh juices, jelly;
- fresh berries and fruits (peaches and sea buckthorn, melon and apricot, black and red currants, tangerines and grapefruits, oranges and chokeberry).

Meals should consist of small portions, which are consumed six times a day.

How else can I eliminate myopia in school-age children? Treatment folk remedies It can also be very effective, but it should be carried out in combination with exercise and the use of foods rich in healing substances.

You can save a child from myopia with the help of herbs. To prepare a medicinal potion, a decoction is prepared from 15-20 grams of leaves and fruits of red mountain ash and 30 grams of dioecious nettle. The ingredients are poured into 400 ml of warm water, boiled over low heat for a quarter of an hour and insisted for 2 hours. Take half a cup in a warm form 15 minutes before meals three times during the day.

Blueberries are also excellent for the treatment of myopia and its prevention. This berry is rich in manganese and other substances that are good for the eyes.

With myopia, your child can be helped by products that include pine needles in the formulation. It is harvested in September, so that you can take healing decoctions all winter.

Myopia is called the disease of civilization. With the advent of computers and high technologies, which put a serious strain on the organs of vision, myopia has become much younger, and more and more children are diagnosed by ophthalmologists at a very early age. Why this happens and whether it is possible to cure myopia in a child, we will tell in this article.

What it is

Myopia is an abnormal change in visual function, in which the image that the child sees does not focus directly on the retina, as it should be normal, but in front of it. Visual images do not reach the retina for a number of reasons - the eyeball is too elongated, the light rays are refracted more intensively. Regardless of the root cause, the child perceives the world as somewhat vague, because the image does not fall on the retina itself. He sees worse at a distance than at close range.

However, if the child brings the object closer to the eyes or uses negative optical lenses, the image begins to form directly on the retina, and the object becomes clearly visible. Myopia can be classified differently, but almost always it is a disease, to some extent genetically determined. The main types of eye disease:

congenital myopia. It occurs very rarely, it is associated with pathologies in the development of visual analyzers that occurred at the stage of laying organs in utero.
High myopia. With such an eye disease, the severity of visual impairment is at a level above 6.25 diopters.

combination myopia. Usually this is myopia of a slight degree, but with it the usual refraction of rays does not occur due to the fact that the refractive abilities of the eye are out of balance.
Spasmodic myopia. This vision disorder is also called false or pseudomyopia. The child begins to see the image blurry due to the fact that the ciliary muscle comes into increased tone.
Transient myopia. This condition is one of the types of false myopia, occurs against the background of the use of certain drugs, as well as diabetes.
Nocturnal transient myopia. With such a visual disorder, the baby sees everything absolutely normally during the day, and with the onset of darkness, refraction is disturbed.

Axial myopia. This is a pathology in which refraction develops due to a violation of the length of the axis of the eyes in a large direction.
Complicated myopia. With this disorder of visual function, due to anatomical defects in the organs of vision, a violation of refraction occurs.
Progressive myopia. With this pathology, the degree of visual impairment is constantly increasing, since the back of the eye is overstretched.
optical myopia. This vision disorder is also called refractive error. With it, there are no disturbances in the eye itself, but there are pathologies in the optical system of the eye, in which the refraction of rays becomes excessive.

Despite the abundance of types of pathology, pathological and physiological visual impairments are distinguished in ophthalmology. So, axial and refractive myopia are considered physiological types, and only axial is considered a pathological disorder.

Physiological problems are caused by the active growth of the eyeball, the formation and improvement of visual function. Pathological problems without timely treatment can lead the child to disability.

Children's myopia in most cases is curable. But the time and effort that will have to be spent on this is directly proportional to the degree of the disease. In total, there are three degrees of myopia in medicine:

mild myopia: loss of vision up to - 3 diopters;
average myopia: loss of vision from - 3.25 diopters to - 6 diopters;
high myopia: loss of vision more than 6 diopters.

Unilateral myopia is less common than bilateral when refractive problems affect both eyes.

Age features

Almost all newborn babies have a shorter eyeball than adults, and therefore congenital farsightedness is a physiological norm. The baby's eye is growing, and doctors often call this farsightedness "farsightedness margin". This reserve is expressed in specific numerical values - from 3 to 3.5 diopters. This stock will be useful to the child during the period of increased growth of the eyeball. This growth occurs mainly before the age of 3, and the complete formation of the structures of the visual analyzers is completed approximately by the primary school age - at the age of 7-9 years.

The stock of farsightedness is consumed gradually, as the eyes grow, and normally the child ceases to be farsighted by the end of kindergarten. However, if at birth this “reserve”, given by nature, is insufficient in a child and is approximately 2.0-2.5 diopters, then doctors talk about a possible risk of developing myopia, the so-called threat of myopia.

The disease can be inherited if mom or dad, or both parents, suffer from myopia. It is the genetic predisposition that is considered to be the main cause of the development of the deviation. It is not necessary that a child will have myopia at birth, but it will most likely begin to make itself felt even at preschool age.

If you do nothing, do not provide correction and assistance to the child, myopia will progress, which may one day cause loss of vision. It should be understood that the decline in vision is always due not only to genetic factors, but also to external factors. Unfavorable factors are considered to be an excessive load on the organs of vision.

Such a load is given by long-term viewing of TV, playing at the computer, improper seating at the table during creativity, as well as insufficient distance from the eyes to the object.

In premature babies born before the appointed obstetric term, the risk of developing myopia is several times higher, since the baby’s vision does not have time to “ripen” in utero. If at the same time there is a genetic predisposition to poor vision, myopia is almost inevitable. Congenital pathology can be combined with weak scleral abilities and increased intraocular pressure. Without a genetic factor, such a disease rarely progresses, but such a possibility cannot be completely ruled out.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, myopia develops by school age, and not only heredity and unfavorable external factors, but also malnutrition, rich in calcium, magnesium, and zinc, affect the occurrence of visual impairment.

Concomitant diseases can also affect the development of myopia. Such ailments include diabetes mellitus, Down syndrome, frequent acute respiratory diseases, scoliosis, rickets, spinal injuries, tuberculosis, scarlet fever and measles, pyelonephritis and many others.

Symptoms

Pay attention to the fact that the child began to see worse, parents should as early as possible. After all, early correction brings positive results. The child will not have complaints, even if his visual function has deteriorated, and it is almost impossible for babies to formulate the problem in words. However, mom and dad can pay attention to some features of the child's behavior, because if the function of the visual analyzer, which gives the lion's share of ideas about the world, is disrupted, the behavior changes dramatically.

The child often complains about headache, for fatigue. He cannot draw, sculpt, or assemble the constructor for a long time, because he is tired from the need to constantly concentrate his vision. If the child sees something interesting for himself, he may begin to squint. This is the main sign of myopia. Older children, in order to make their task easier, begin to pull the outer corner of the eye to the side or down with their hands.

Toddlers who began to see worse lean very low over a book or sketchbook, trying to "bring" an image or text closer to them.

A child under one year old ceases to be interested in silent toys, which are removed from them by a meter or more. Since the baby cannot see them normally, and motivation at this age is not yet enough. Any suspicions of parents are worthy of being checked by an ophthalmologist at an unscheduled examination.

Diagnostics

Initially, the eyes of the child are examined in the maternity hospital. Such an examination allows you to establish the fact of gross congenital malformations of the organs of vision, such as congenital cataracts or glaucoma. But it is not possible to establish a predisposition to myopia or its very fact at this first examination.

Myopia, if it is not associated with congenital malformations of the visual analyzer, is characterized by a gradual development, and therefore it is so important to show the child to the ophthalmologist within the allotted time. Planned visits should be carried out at 1 month, half a year and a year. Premature babies are recommended to visit an ophthalmologist even at 3 months.

It is possible to detect myopia starting from six months, since at this time the doctor gets the opportunity to more fully assess the ability of children's organs of vision to normal refraction.

Visual and test check

Diagnosis begins with an external examination. In both the infant and the older child, the doctor evaluates the position and size parameters of the eyeballs, their shape. After that, the doctor establishes the baby's ability to carefully follow a fixed and moving object, fix his eyes on a bright toy, gradually moving away from the little one, and assessing from what distance the baby stops perceiving the toy.

For children from one and a half years use Orlova's table. It does not contain letters that a preschool child does not yet know, there are no complex images. It consists of familiar and simple symbols - an elephant, a horse, a duck, a car, an airplane, a fungus, an asterisk.

In total there are 12 rows in the table, in each subsequent row from top to bottom, the size of the pictures decreases. On the left in each row of the Latin "D" is the distance from which the baby should normally see pictures, and on the right, the Latin "V" indicates visual acuity in conventional units.

Normal vision is considered if the child sees from a distance of 5 meters the picture in the tenth line from the top. A decrease in this distance may indicate myopia. The smaller the distance from the child's eyes to the sheet with the table, at which he sees and names the pictures, the stronger and more pronounced myopia.

You can also check your eyesight using the Orlova table at home, for this it is enough to have it on a sheet of A 4 format and hang it at the level of the baby's eyes in a room with good lighting. Before testing or going to an appointment with an ophthalmologist, be sure to show the child this table and tell the name of all the objects depicted on it, so that the baby can easily name what he sees.

If the child is too small to be able to check his vision with the help of tables, or some abnormalities were found during testing, the doctor will definitely examine the child's organs of vision using an ophthalmoscope.

He will carefully examine the condition of the cornea and the anterior chamber of the eyeball, as well as the lens, vitreous body, and fundus. Many forms of myopia are characterized by certain visual changes in the anatomy of the eye, the doctor will definitely notice them.

Separately, it must be said about strabismus. Myopia is often accompanied by such a well-defined pathology as exotropia. A slight strabismus may be a variant of the physiological norm in young children, but if the symptoms have not gone away by six months, the child should definitely be examined by an eye doctor for myopia.

Samples and ultrasound

Skiascopy or shadow test is carried out using the main tool of the ophthalmologist - an ophthalmoscope. The doctor is placed at a distance of one meter from a small patient and, using the device, illuminates his pupil with a red beam. During the movements of the ophthalmoscope, a shadow appears on the pupil illuminated with red light. When sorting through lenses with different optical properties, the doctor determines with great accuracy the presence, nature and severity of myopia.

Ultrasound diagnostics (ultrasound) allows you to make all the necessary measurements - the length of the eyeball, anteroposterior size, and also to establish whether there are retinal detachments and other complicating pathologies.

Treatment for myopia should be prescribed as soon as possible, since the disease tends to progress. By itself, visual impairment does not go away, the situation must be under the control of doctors and parents. Myopia of a slight mild degree is well corrected even with home treatment, which is only a set of recommendations - massage, gymnastics for the eyes, wearing medical glasses.

More complex forms and stages of myopia require additional therapy. Doctors' forecasts are quite optimistic - even serious forms of myopia can be corrected, vision loss can be stopped and even the child's normal ability to see can be restored. True, this becomes possible only if the treatment began as early as possible, until the structures of the eye have undergone irreversible changes.

The choice of a therapeutic measure is the doctor's business, especially since there is plenty to choose from - today there are several ways to correct myopia.

Rarely, doctors stop at only one method, since only complex treatment shows the best results. You can restore vision, correct the violation by wearing glasses and contact lenses, using laser correction methods. In some cases, doctors have to resort to refractive lens replacement and implantation of phakic lenses, surgical alignment of the cornea of \u200b\u200bthe eye (keratotomy operation) and replacement of part of the affected cornea with a transplant (keratoplasty). Treatment on special simulators is also effective.

Hardware treatment

Hardware treatment in some cases avoids surgical intervention. It is shrouded in a halo of rumors and various opinions: from enthusiastic to skeptical. Reviews of such methods are also very different. However, the harm of this method of correction has not been officially proven by anyone, and even ophthalmologists themselves are increasingly talking about the benefits.

The essence of hardware treatment is to activate the body's own capabilities and restore lost vision through the impact on the affected parts of the eye.

Hardware therapy does not cause pain to small patients. It is acceptable from a security point of view. This is a complex of physiotherapy procedures that a baby with myopia will undergo in several courses on special devices. In this case, the impact will be different:

magnetic stimulation;
stimulation with electrical impulses;
stimulation with laser beams;
photostimulation;
optical accommodation training;
training of the eye muscles and optic nerve;
massage and reflexology.

It is clear that gross malformations of the organs of vision, serious diseases, such as cataracts or glaucoma, are not treated by the hardware method, since a mandatory surgery. But myopia, farsightedness and astigmatism lend themselves well to correction in this way. Moreover, it is the treatment of myopia that is considered the most successful with the use of special devices.

For therapy, several main types of devices are used. These are macular stimulators, vacuum massagers for the eyes, the Kovalenko ruler, the Synoptofor apparatus, devices for stimulation with color photo spots and a laser.

Numerous reviews about hardware treatment relate mainly to the cost of such procedures and the duration of the effect. All parents repeat that sessions are not cheap pleasure, as well as that a lasting effect from hardware treatment is achieved only with systematic repetitions of treatment courses.

After one or two courses, the improvement effect that has appeared may disappear after a couple of months.

Medical treatment

Treatment of myopia with medications is prescribed when the child is in the postoperative period after surgery on the eyes, as well as to eliminate false or transient myopia. Commonly used eye drops Tropicamide" or " scopolamine". These drugs act on the ciliary muscle, almost paralyzing it. Due to this, the spasm of accommodation decreases, the eye relaxes.

While the treatment is going on, the child begins to see even worse at close range, it will be quite difficult for him to read, write, and work at a computer. But the course usually lasts about a week, no more.

These drugs also have one more unpleasant effect - they increase intraocular pressure which is undesirable for children with glaucoma. Therefore, the independent use of such drops is unacceptable, the appointment of the attending ophthalmologist is required.

To improve the nutrition of the environments of the eye, as part of complex treatment, the drug " Taufon". Despite the fact that manufacturers indicate the minimum age for use is 18 years, these eye drops have become quite widespread in pediatric practice. Doctors prescribe calcium supplements to almost all children with myopia (usually " Calcium gluconate”), agents that improve microcirculation in tissues (“ Trental”), as well as vitamins, especially vitamins A, B 1, B 2, C, PP.

Glasses and lenses for myopia

Glasses for myopia help to normalize refraction. But they are prescribed to children only with mild and moderate degrees of the disease. At a high stage of myopia, glasses are ineffective. Glasses of glasses for myopia are indicated by a number with a “-” sign.

The ophthalmologist is responsible for the selection of glasses. He will bring various glasses to the child until the child sees the tenth line of the test chart from a distance of 5 meters. Depending on the severity of the disease, the doctor recommends wearing glasses at a certain time. If the child has a weak degree, then glasses should be worn only when you need to consider objects and objects located in the distance. The rest of the time they don't wear glasses. If you neglect this rule, myopia will only progress.

With an average degree of myopia, glasses are prescribed to be worn while studying, reading, drawing. Quite often, doctors recommend that these children wear bifocals with the upper part of the lens a few diopters higher than the lower part of the lens, so as not to aggravate the loss of vision from the constant use of medical glasses. Thus, when looking up and into the distance, the child looks through "therapeutic" diopters, and reads and draws through lenses that have lower numerical values.

Contact lenses

Contact lenses are more comfortable than glasses. Psychologically, wearing them is more easily perceived by children than wearing glasses. With the help of lenses, it is possible to correct not only mild and moderate visual impairment, but also high myopia. The lenses fit more tightly to the cornea, which reduces the possible errors in light refraction that occur when wearing glasses, when the child's eyes can move away from the glass lens.

Often parents are puzzled by the question at what age children can wear lenses. It is usually recommended to do this when the child reaches the age of 8 years. Soft day or hard night lenses should be prescribed by a doctor. Best suited for children are disposable lenses that do not need thorough hygienic treatment before reuse.

When choosing reusable lenses, parents should be prepared for the fact that they will require very close care so as not to infect the baby's organs of vision.

Rigid night lenses are not worn during the day, they are used only at night when the child is sleeping. At the same time, they are removed in the morning. The mechanical pressure exerted on the cornea by the lenses during the night helps the cornea to "straighten" and the child sees almost or normally during the day. Night lenses have quite a few contraindications, and doctors still do not agree on whether such correction tools are useful for the child's body.

Laser correction

This is a fairly widely used method for myopia. With a weak and medium stages of the disease, as well as with a high degree with loss of vision up to 15 diopters, the procedure gives visible positive results. However, it should be well understood that the correction does not cure vision, but only allows you to compensate for its loss.

The procedure takes only a few minutes. Pain relief is achieved with the use of eye drops. During the correction, a part of the curved cornea will be removed, this will allow to align its layer, and bring the optical ability of the eye to refract rays to normal values. After correction, the child is forbidden to rub his eyes with his hands, wash himself with dirty water, strain his eyesight and exercise.

Surgical operations

Surgical treatment of myopia is indicated for complex and severe forms of ocular pathology. An important condition in order to offer parents an operation for a child is the progress of the violation. If the baby loses about 1 diopter per year, then this is an unconditional indication for surgery.

The most common intervention is lens replacement. The child's own affected lens is replaced under local anesthesia with a lens that is implanted into the lens capsule. Any surgery that is performed on the organs of vision for myopia has one goal - to strengthen the back of the eye in order to stop the fall in vision. Using a curved needle, a special gel or softened cartilage tissue is injected into the back of the eye to prevent the sclera from stretching.

Scleroplasty can stop the decline in visual function in about 70% of operated babies. They are shown further complex treatment, including wearing glasses, hardware treatment (at the request of the parents), medications that the doctor will prescribe.

Eye exercises for myopia

In many forms of myopia, doctors recommend teaching children daily eye exercises. It includes exercises for circular and axial movements of the eyeballs, examination of close and distant objects. The most interesting and effective for children, in which visual impairment is corrected, is gymnastics in Professor Zhdanov's method.

It is not necessary to do the full range of exercises provided by the methodology every day. Just 10-15 minutes a day is enough to do 2-3 exercises with a child in a playful way. With mild myopia, such gymnastics allows you to stop a further drop in vision and even correct it without any other treatment.

Prevention

The World Health Organization believes that there is no specific prevention of myopia. After all, with the existing hereditary predisposition, the disease sometimes develops regardless of external factors.

However, it is still possible to save the eyesight of most children and avoid a high degree of myopia. To do this, you need to follow simple and important rules:

Children up to one year of age no need to hang toys too close to the face. The distance to the rattles and the mobile should be at least 45-50 cm.
Children from one and a half years you need to instill a useful habit of keeping all objects that need to be looked at (books, drawings, toys) at a distance of at least 30 centimeters from the eyes. You can’t read while lying down, as well as use a mobile phone, looking at something on its screen while walking or while traveling by transport.

Preschoolers, schoolchildren and teenagers it is necessary to ensure proper lighting of the workspace where the child plays, reads, draws, and does homework. To do this, you need not only to buy a good table lamp, but also take care of the background lighting of the entire room.

The eyes of the child should not be overworked. In a healthy baby, when sitting at a computer for a long time, visual analyzers experience fatigue after two hours. In children with myopia, this time period is even shorter - it is only 35-45 minutes. It is clear that it will not be possible to completely avoid strain on the eyes, especially for a schoolchild. But when reading or writing, as well as while working in front of a computer monitor, you need to pause every 20-30 minutes for 5-10 minutes to switch to another activity that does not require significant visual concentration.
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Myopia in children is a common ophthalmic pathology that can be observed already at birth. If one of the parents has myopia, the chance of inheriting the pathology in the child increases significantly. The disease can appear at any age, but most often it develops during schooling.

What is myopia?

Nearsightedness (myopia) is a refractive error of the eye, which is characterized by the formation of a visual image of an object in front of the retina. Nearsighted children can see close objects well and find it difficult to look into the distance. Distant objects seem to the baby blurry, blurry, fuzzy. Visual acuity falls below 1.0.

Causes of myopia in children

The disease can be hereditary, acquired and congenital. Congenital or hereditary myopia is usually diagnosed at 1 year or earlier. Acquired myopia most often occurs during the beginning of schooling or during adolescence.

Causes of myopia in infants:

increased extensibility and weakness of the sclera;
genetic predisposition;
prematurity;
congenital glaucoma;
congenital pathology of the lens and cornea;
Marfan syndrome;
Down syndrome.

Causes of myopia in school-age children and adolescents:

early learning to read and write;

unlimited TV viewing and computer time;

violation of visual hygiene (uncomfortable workplace, poor lighting);

deficiency of trace elements and vitamins in the diet;

the rapid growth of the child.

At school age, pseudomyopia or false myopia often occurs. It is formed due to incorrect position, poor lighting or excessive tilt over textbooks. As a result of these factors, accommodation spasm occurs - a condition in which the ciliary muscle cannot relax for a long time when looking into the distance, which leads to a blurry image of objects.

Factors contributing to the formation of myopia:

birth injuries of the spine;
infections (sinusitis, hepatitis, scarlet fever, measles, tonsillitis, tuberculosis);
diabetes;
rickets;
musculoskeletal pathologies (flat feet, scoliosis).

Types of myopia

By the nature of the development of myopia is:

Physiological - due to increased growth of the eye. The degree of myopia increases until the growth of the eyeball stops and does not progress further.
Lenticular - occurs as a result of an excessive increase in the refraction of the lens, against the background of changes in its nucleus. Often seen in children with diabetes, central cataract or after taking certain medications.
Pathological - develops due to excessive growth of the eyeball in length. Vision is reduced to a few diopters per year. The course is progressive.

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence of myopia can be:

Axial - with an increase in the length of the eye by more than 25 mm and unimpaired refraction.
Refractive - the normal size of the eye and an increase in the refraction of the lens.
Mixed.

Severity of myopia:

Weak - less than 3 D.
Average - from 3.25 to 6.0 D.
High - more than 6 D.

Symptoms and signs of childhood myopia

The main symptoms of myopia are:

poor distance vision (blurring, fuzzy objects);
headache due to eye fatigue.

Myopia can be suspected if the child:

squints or frowns when looking into the distance;
complains of a headache;
holds books and other objects close to the face;
often rubs eyes or blinks.

The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that children do not understand how well they see. Due to visual defects in schoolchildren, academic performance may decrease. They do not identify her true problem and cannot explain to parents the reason for poor academic performance.

Complications of myopia

With the progression of myopia, vision continues to deteriorate. An increase in the eyeball causes overstretching of the choroid and retina, and the supply of the eyeball with nutrients is disrupted. Tears form in the retina, which can lead to its detachment.

What to do if the child has signs of myopia

When the first signs of pathology appear, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist. During the diagnostic process, he conducts:

Refractometry is the study of refraction.
Visometry is the measurement of visual acuity.
Biomicroscopy - examination of the anterior part of the eye.
Ophthalmoscopy - examination of the fundus of the eye.
Eye ultrasound.

How to cure myopia in young children and teenagers

Many methods are used to treat myopia in children. The choice of a particular one depends on the age of the baby and the degree of myopia. Treatment is aimed at reducing the degree of myopia and slowing its progression.

With a rate of vision loss of no more than 0.5 diopters per year, myopia is treated with conservative methods. If the progression is 1 diopter per year, they resort to surgical intervention.

Conservative treatment includes:

Wearing glasses or lenses.
Visual gymnastics.
Compliance with visual hygiene principles balanced nutrition, rest regime and loads.

These activities may be sufficient if myopia is diagnosed at an early age. For the treatment of complex forms of the disease, as well as for the treatment of myopia in children from 3 years old and in adolescents, hardware methods are used:

Infrared laser therapy - exposure of the eye to infrared rays from a short distance. The procedure allows you to eliminate the spasm of accommodation, improve eye nutrition.
Laser therapy - stimulates the receptors of retinal nerve cells, improves spatial vision.
Vacuum massage - improves the hydrodynamics of the eye, blood circulation, the work of the ciliary muscle.
Electrical stimulation - increases conductivity in the optic nerve. Low intensity currents are used.
Amblicore - optimizes the activity of neurons in the visual cortex, significantly improves vision.

Ophthalmosurgery is performed when dystrophic changes in the retina occur. Scleroplasty allows you to strengthen the posterior segment of the retina and normalize the metabolism in the shell of the eye.

Prevention of the development of myopia in children

To prevent myopia, you need to follow a few recommendations:

Visual loads can be carried out only in good lighting: use a table lamp 60 - 100 W or overhead light. Fluorescent lamps are not suitable for lighting a child's room.
Regularly carry out gymnastics for the eyes during intense visual stress (every half an hour).
It is better to alternate visual loads with outdoor activities.
Children need to eat a balanced diet and spend enough time outdoors.

doctor pays attention

Children with myopia should limit TV viewing to 1 hour per day. In this case, the distance from the screen should be 5 times the size of its diagonal.
Children with an initial degree of myopia should limit their time spent at the computer to 30 minutes three times a week.

It is important for parents to remember that children do not notice visual impairment in themselves, especially if it occurs gradually. Even in the absence of complaints, the child should be shown to a pediatric ophthalmologist at least once a year.

Myopia in children causes prognosis. Congenital myopia (myopia): causes and treatment

The severity of myopia

Causes of congenital myopia

How to understand what is myopia? Signs and symptoms.

Diagnostics

Treatment

It is easier to prevent than to cure. Prevention.

What is myopia, its stages

Signs of myopia, diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention of myopia in children

Useful video about myopia in children

Congenital myopia (myopia) in children

Treatment of myopia in children

Infrared laser therapy procedure

vacuum massage

laser therapy

electrical stimulation

Reamed

Note to parents

How to determine myopia in a child?

Preventing bad visual habits

Treatment

Hardware treatment

Causes

Exercises and gymnastics

Diagnostics

Prevention

False

congenital

Myopia in school-age children

Myopia in school-age children: causes of pathology

How to recognize an eye anomaly?

How is myopia diagnosed?

Methods of treatment of children's myopia

Summary for parents

Prevention of myopia

General information about pathology

Prevention

Antenatal prophylaxis

Medical method of prevention

vitamins

Physiotherapy

Hygienic method of prevention

Prevention of myopia in childhood and adolescence

newborn

Preventive measures for schoolchildren

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