Distinguish the types of myopia in children and be alert to high myopia

Mobile phones, tablets, and computers are fun. With the popularity of electronic devices, more and more "little glasses" are being worn in our lives. Coupled with the increasing academic pressure, children have less time for outdoor activities, which has led to the trend of early onset, rapid progression, and severe degree of myopia among adolescents. In order to correctly guide children to use their eyes reasonably and protect their eyes, you need to know these knowledge~

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How is myopia classified?

The chief physician introduced: "There are many types of myopia classification, because the cause of the disease, the cause of refractive error, the degree, the duration of myopia, stability, and whether there is accommodation involved can all be used as classification criteria."

(1) According to the degree

Myopia is divided into low myopia, moderate myopia and high myopia according to the degree. Less than 300 degrees is called low myopia, between 300 and 600 degrees is called moderate myopia, and more than about 600 degrees is called high myopia.

(2) According to the refractive structure (cause)

Refractive myopia: The axial length of the eye is normal, but the refractive components of the eye are abnormal or the combination of components is abnormal, which causes the refractive power of the eye to increase and produce myopia. This type of myopia can be temporary or permanent.

Axial myopia: It is also divided into non-plastic axial myopia, which means that the refractive power of the eye is normal, but the anterior-posterior axis length of the eyeball exceeds the normal range. Every 1mm increase in the axial length is equivalent to an increase of 300 degrees of myopia. Generally, the refractive power of axial myopia is below 600 degrees of myopia. After the refractive power of some axial myopic eyes increases to 600 degrees, the axial length continues to increase. The myopia refractive power can reach more than 1000 degrees, and some even reach 2000 degrees. This kind of myopia is called progressive high myopia or deformed myopia.

Compound myopia: the first two types of myopia exist at the same time.

(3) According to whether there is regulatory power involved

Pseudomyopia: also known as accommodative myopia, is caused by long-term close-range work, increased visual load, inability to relax, tight accommodation or accommodation spasm. Myopia can disappear by dilating the pupil with medication. However, it is generally believed that this type of myopia is the initial stage of the occurrence and development of myopia.

True myopia: After using drugs such as ciliary muscle paralytics, the degree of myopia does not decrease or the decrease is less than 0.50D.

Mixed myopia: refers to the condition in which the refractive power of myopia is reduced after the use of ciliary muscle paralytic drugs and other treatment methods, but the emmetropia state has not yet been restored.

How much impact does myopia have on health?

This is a very wrong understanding. Generally speaking, due to genetic factors and bad eye habits, children aged 3 to 18 are very likely to suffer from myopia. Relatively speaking, the chance of myopia in adults is much smaller. There are as many as 600 million people with myopia in my country, among which the overall myopia rate among children and adolescents is as high as 50%. The fastest growing group of myopia is children aged 6-10, and 45% of 6-year-old children have lost their hyperopia reserves.

In fact, myopia has long-term effects and harms on children's physical and mental health and their entire lives. For example, myopia at a younger age not only causes inconvenience to children's lives, but may also affect their interests and hobbies. On the other hand, since some industries have strict vision requirements, myopia may make it difficult to find a job. Due to the high incidence of myopia, the employment of some fields and industries is also affected.

If a child already has myopia and the parents do not intervene to correct it, once it develops into high myopia, the child will face the threat of more eye diseases and induce various eye diseases.

What are the symptoms of high myopia or very high myopia?

Generally, myopia greater than 600 degrees is called high myopia, and more than 1000 degrees is called super high myopia. High myopia is generally divided into two types, one is simple ordinary myopia, and the other is pathological myopia. Simple myopia refers to the myopia degree that basically tends to be stable and no longer increases after adolescents mature. Pathological myopia refers to myopia exceeding 600 degrees, the degree continues to increase, the vision continues to decline, and there are deformation changes in the posterior pole of the eye, accompanied by a variety of complications.

Patients with high myopia have longer eye axes than ordinary people. The thinner the eyeball wall tissue is, the higher the probability of retinal lesions on the inner side of the eyeball wall. These complications of high myopia generally have the risk of blindness. If mild or moderate myopia occurs in adolescence, you need to develop good eye habits and take certain preventive measures to avoid developing high myopia. If you already have high myopia, you should have regular eye examinations to prevent further deterioration. At the same time, you need to protect your eyes and avoid collisions and eye injuries.

Can myopia be cured?

First of all, let's make it clear that myopia is irreversible. Once myopia occurs, it cannot be reversed. Neither posterior scleral reinforcement surgery nor myopia laser surgery can cure myopia. What should parents do in daily life to prevent their children from developing high or pathological myopia?

If you don’t have myopia yet, or at least haven’t developed severe myopia yet, then you should be thankful. But more importantly, from now on, you should use scientific and effective myopia prevention and control management to delay the growth of myopia, and keep the habit of going to the hospital for eye examination every six months or a year to detect and treat it early.

Love your eyes and protect your eyes

Usually, parents can help their children protect their eyesight from the following aspects:

Don't be addicted to electronic products. Parents must control the time their children spend using electronic products. Children under 3 years old should not be exposed to electronic products. In special circumstances, such as when they need to video chat with their elders, the longest time should not exceed 20 minutes, and it is best to control it to 5-10 minutes. Children aged 3-6 should not use electronic products continuously for more than 20 minutes.

Maintain a good reading and writing posture. Remember "one fist, one foot, one inch". The desk is one fist away from the body, the eyes are one foot away from the book, and the fingers are one inch away from the fingertips.

Read and write in bright light or dark environment. There should be enough light, but you can't read or write in too bright or too dark environment.

Two hours of outdoor exercise every day. Children under the age of five should not sit still indoors for more than one hour a day. For example, reading picture books or story books should not be done for a long time. Parents should actively guide their children to participate in outdoor activities for more than two hours.

Check your vision regularly. Have a vision test every six months, follow the doctor's advice for scientific intervention and myopia correction, and try to have your eyes tested in an ophthalmic medical institution to avoid incorrect correction methods that may worsen myopia.

Image source: Pixabay

Establishing a refractive development health record is a preventive monitoring system, not only for children who have already developed myopia, but for all children of appropriate age (6 to 12 years old is best). Through regular vision examinations, recording eye parameters such as degree, astigmatism, axial length, etc., long-term eye health records are formed, and a refractive development file for adolescents is established. By comparing multiple changes in eye parameters and continuously tracking and monitoring vision, the signs of myopia can be discovered in time, warning signals can be issued, and necessary intervention measures can be taken to avoid or delay the occurrence of myopia; for children who already have myopia, measures are taken to slow down the development of myopia and avoid the development of high myopia: for people with high myopia, regular examinations are conducted to avoid complications of high myopia.

Warm reminder: "Scientific myopia prevention and control requires systematic examinations and scientific corrections from ophthalmic medical institutions on the one hand, and also requires parents and children to have scientific and rational cognition to avoid blind obedience on the other hand. Once it is found that the child has problems such as decreased vision, squinting, blinking, rubbing eyes, and liking to watch TV at close range, it is necessary to go to a regular ophthalmic medical institution for a comprehensive examination in time, make a clear diagnosis, give a personalized comprehensive treatment plan, and formulate a targeted myopia prevention and control plan.

Source: Chongqing Aier Children's Eye Hospital Co., Ltd.

Audit expert: He Yongchuan

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