Myopia in children: complications and prevention

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Extract from the article: Myopia, characterized by blurred distance vision, is a common eye condition affecting children and adolescents. Although it may appear to be a benign condition, it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. So it's important to be aware of

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Myopia, characterized by blurred distance vision, is a common eye condition affecting children and adolescents. Although it may appear to be a benign condition, it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. So it's important to be aware of the complications of myopia in children, and the preventive measures that can be taken.

Myopia is a progressive condition. If left untreated, it can lead to complications. According to Pr. Patrice Balo, Ophthalmologist, Head of the « Sight & Vision » clinic in Lomé, when myopia is left untreated, « it puts a strain on the eye. The person can't see well, and the effort required is much greater. Sometimes this can lead to minor headaches in the child, because it calls on other muscles inside the eye ».

Another complication of myopia is retinal detachment. « When people with myopia come for a consultation, we carry out a complete examination, checking the retina at the back of the eye. In reality, myopes have a very fragile retina. We need to check for tears or lesions. If this is not done, the tear can lead to retinal detachment, which is much more serious to manage », explains Prof. Patrice Balo.

Prevention: the best way

Prevention is the key to limiting the prevalence of myopia, whether at an early stage in its development or later on.This is because it can develop into severe forms, leading to serious visual complications.

Environmental factors also play an important role in the development of myopia in children, and must be taken into account. « Today, the fact that practically everyone has a cell phone, we use tablets and the like, these are elements which mean that many children develop myopia in addition to the constitutional elements.It's a behavioral and educational problem that needs to be addressed at family level.Children's screen time needs to be reduced to a strict minimum, so that it doesn't have a negative impact on their eyes », says the ophthalmologist.

Preventing myopia starts with early detection from a very young age.Parents should take their child to the ophthalmologist for an eye test at an early age, even if the child has no symptoms of myopia. By acting early, parents can help prevent the onset of myopia and other vision problems in their children.This is essential to maintaining healthy vision throughout their lives.

Elom AKAKPO