If you're a millennial parent, there's a good chance you wore glasses growing up or knew someone who did.
Maybe you were told you had "short-sightedness" or "myopia" and that it just meant you needed specs. But today, we're learning way more about myopia than we did back in the '90s.
And some of what we thought we knew? It’s not quite right. So, let’s clear a few things up.
What exactly is myopia?
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is when the eye struggles to see distant objects clearly.
Your child might be able to read a book up close or see their iPad fine, but things like road signs, the whiteboard at school or someone waving from across the oval? Total blur.
Physically, what’s happening is that the eye grows too long from front to back, or the cornea curves too steeply. This changes how light is focused on the retina (the back of the eye), making far-away things look fuzzy.
So, glasses fix it, right? Sort of but not really.
“Regular single vision glasses correct the symptom, which is blurry vision but they don’t slow down or stop the eye from continuing to grow or become more myopic. That’s the real concern, especially in young kids,” said Luke Arundel, Chief Clinical Officer at Optometry Australia.
What most people don’t realise is that myopia can get worse as your child grows.
In many kids, the prescription increases every six to 12 months during their peak growth years. And the higher that number climbs, the greater the long-term risk to their vision.
Why myopia matters more than you think
Here’s where things get real. High levels of myopia can lead to much more than glasses with thick lenses. They increase the risk of serious eye diseases like:
- Retinal detachment – where the retina pulls away from the back of the eye, causing permanent vision loss if not treated quickly
- Glaucoma – a condition that damages the optic nerve, often with no early warning signs
- Myopic macular degeneration – a sight-threatening disease affecting central vision
- Cataracts – cloudy lenses in the eye that can require surgery
The risk of these issues goes up significantly the higher the degree of myopia.
So, while glasses help your child see clearly now, managing the condition behind the scenes is what protects their eyes into adulthood.
Can myopia be stopped?
We can’t “cure” myopia, but we can slow it down.
That’s what myopia management is all about; keeping the condition stable for as long as possible, especially while your child’s eyes are still developing.
There are now proven strategies optometrists can use, including:
- Specialised myopia control glasses or contact lenses with advanced optics- these use unique lens designs to reduce eye growth signals
- Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) - custom lenses worn overnight that reshape the cornea temporarily
- Low-dose atropine eye drops - used nightly, they help slow down the elongation of the eye.
What should parents look out for?
Early signs of myopia can be subtle. Your child might:
- Squint to see far away
- Sit too close to the TV or hold screens close to their face
- Complain of headaches or eye strain
- Struggle to see the board at school
- Start falling behind academically or lose interest in reading
If your child’s showing any of these signs, or if you or their other parent are myopic, it’s worth booking an eye test. Even if they don’t complain, their eyes could still be changing.
“Vision screening at school isn’t the same as a full eye exam. A trusted optometrist can detect changes or pre-myopia signs before your child even notices symptoms.”
Final takeaway: Myth = busted
To sum up:
- Myopia isn’t just “needing glasses”—it’s an eye disorder which can impact long term eye health
- It progresses over time, especially in kids
- Early diagnosis means better options to slow it down
- Management isn’t one-size-fits-all, but your optometrist can guide you
Don’t wait for your child to tell you something’s wrong. By then, their myopia may have already progressed.
Book an eye exam with your optometrist, ask the right questions and take steps now to safeguard their sight long-term.
Your next move? Find a local optometrist here and ask about myopia management options. It’s quick, painless and one of the most powerful things you can do for your child’s future vision.
