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 for myopia 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. Due to 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 locatedfar away, problems occur: image is not clear.
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 take place 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 he althy 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 the normal state, the visual system perceives objects that are at a distance from the child well. But in order to seenearby objects, the eye must strain, while using its focusing apparatus (change the shape of the lens by deforming the muscular system). But what happens with frequent and prolonged loads? Muscles cease to relax and return to their original position.
This phenomenon is called by ophthalmologists "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; - improper diet; - 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 sometimes simply cannot explain the true reason for the appearance of poor grades in the diary.condition.
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; - often blinks or rubs eyes.
What to do when school myopia appears?
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 a correction for 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.
Correction of myopia
If myopia is detected in schoolchildren, treatment begins with the selection of glasses. This will correct your vision. By and large, it cannot be called a cure. However, points inchildren reduce the progression of myopia. It does this by eliminating eye strain.
If school-age children have mild or moderate myopia, treatment with glasses should not consist of 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 wear contact lenses. They are especially relevant for anisometropia, when there is a large difference in refraction between the eyes (more than 2 diopters).
Orthokeratology 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 regains its shape.
Using special tools
What other ways are there to eliminate pathology if myopia is found in school-age children? Treatment can be carried out with the help of "relaxingpoints." They have weakly positive lenses. This allows you to reduce accommodation.
Medics 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.
There are also a large number of hardware methods for the treatment of myopia. These include vacuum massage and electrical stimulation, infrared type laser therapy, etc.
Drugs to get rid of myopia
What medications treat myopia in school-age children? Drugs to get rid of this pathology should be prescribed by a doctor together with the implementation of special exercises, as well as compliance with 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 supplements and Trental.
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 supplements 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. These can be funds such as Lidaza and Fibrinolysin.
Using drugs for false myopia
In the case when myopia in a schoolchild is associated with a spasm of the eye 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.
Relaxing drops include 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. Paralysis caused by the action of the drug lasts for 4-6 hours, after which the muscle relaxes.
The course of such treatment lasts, as a rule, within a month. In this case, a drug such as Irifrin can be used, which alternates with Midrialil or Tropicamide.
Surgical treatment
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 schoolchildren, 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 medications, should also include non-drug 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 canuse 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 (palms 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-term stop looking at a candle located in a dark room.
Useful products
How should the treatment be done to eliminate myopia in school-age children? 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, cauliflower, sea and sauerkraut, broccoli and beets, young green peas, 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).
Food should consist of small portions, which are consumed six times a day.
Traditional Medicine Tips
How else can I eliminate myopia in school-age children? Treatment with folk remedies 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 glass warm 15 minutes before meals three times a day.
Also, blueberries are 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.
