Children's Vision Month

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 A 1 5 ONE OF THESE KIDS HAS A VISION ISSUE. That epidemic is myopia, or near-sightedness. At present, about 30 per cent of people worldwide suffer from myopia. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg. By 2050, that number is expected to jump to nearly 50 per cent, says Doctor of Optometry Cody van Dijk of Village Optical in St. Vital. "Myopia is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors," he says. "The most important predictor in a child becoming nearsighted is their parents' eyeglass prescription. If one parent is nearsighted, there's a good chance one or more of their kids will be, too." That said, environmental factors also play a central role in the development of myopia in kids. One of those environmental factors — and a significant one, at that — is screen time. "Today, kids are spending much of their free time with their smartphones and tablets up close to their eyes. When you look at things up close on a continual basis, the likelihood of developing myopia becomes higher." There is, however, a low-tech way to guard against becoming nearsighted, he adds. "It's been proven that having kids spend time outdoors significantly reduces the incidence of myopia. We recommend that kids spend 90 minutes per day outdoors with proper sun protection. It might sound old-fashioned, but it works." Given the fact kids live on their devices — their lives tend to be dominated by social media, video games and streaming services when they're not in school or engaged in extracurricular activities — getting them to spend time outdoors might be a hard sell. Consequently, with increasing numbers of kids spending time indoors glued to screens, developing myopia may seem inevitable. While that may have been the case 30 years ago, that's not the case today, says Dr. van Dijk. "Thanks to advances in research, there are now three ways to control the progression of myopia. The first involves using an eye drop called atropine. Both the second and third methods involve using special contact lenses." Atropine is used in higher concentrations to treat eye conditions such as uveitis, a painful eye condition caused by inflammation within the eye. It is now well-established that atropine — in a significantly lower concentration — can be used to mitigate myopia. "Using atropine at a low concentration of .01 per cent can reduce myopia by over 50 per cent," Dr. van Dijk says. "It's been used in certain parts of the world for years and has very little to no side effects — it's a safe treatment option." Option No. 2 involves using specially-made contact lenses to limit the progression of myopia. "It's known that the way light focuses on the retina can fuel the progression of myopia. With that in mind, we can use special contact lenses that counter myopia by changing the focus of that light," he explains. "Basically, straight ahead vision is clear, while subtle changes are made to side vision." Another special type of contact lens then provides a third treatment option, known as orthokeratology. "We can prescribe a contact lens that can be worn while sleeping," adds Dr. van Dijk. "It essentially reshapes the eye to slow progression. The eye adapts fairly easily, which means kids don't need to wear their glasses during the day." The key to combatting myopia – and other eye ailments – is startlingly simple: schedule regular eye exams for your kids by age 3. "Regular eye exams will detect eye problems early on. When you do that, treatment can be prescribed to make sure potentially serious eye conditions can be treated, or even prevented, before they become a major problem." In the case of myopia, all it takes is a consultation with a Doctor of Optometry to decide which treatment option fits your child best. "The overall effectiveness of the three treatments is similar — it's just a matter of picking the option that works best," he says. "Some kids think contacts are cool, but we've found that there's an even split between treatments — they all work." What's the bottom line with myopia? "A lot of myopic parents wish these options had been available a generation ago," says Dr. van Dijk. "Myopia control can lead to lower prescriptions, lower costs for corrective lenses, and a reduced impact on our day-to- day lives." ■ TRIO OF TREATMENTS AVAILABLE TO MITIGATE MYOPIA EPIDEMIC BY TODD LEWYS FOR THE FREE PRESS Dr. Averi Van Dam 300 Henderson Hwy. P: 204-669-4203 Child Friendly. Accepting New Patients. About 30 per cent of kids under 17, worldwide, suffer from myopia, a number that is expectedto rise, says Dr. Cody van Dijk of Village Optical. Photo by Todd Lewys It's a silent vision epidemic that is — surprisingly — flying below the public's radar.

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