An 8-year-old boy was diagnosed with myopia but refused to wear glasses. Six months later, his myopia increased by 1,000 degrees

Many parents are reluctant to let their children wear glasses. During the winter vacation this year, 8-year-old Dongdong (pseudonym) was diagnosed with 100-degree myopia, but his parents did not take it seriously. They also thought that the child was too young and wearing glasses would easily press on the bridge of the nose and make him more myopic, so they did not let him wear glasses. When he was checked again yesterday, Dongdong's eyesight had risen to 200 degrees.

"If you develop myopia but don't wear glasses, a blurred image will form on the retina and cause unstable accommodation, which will result in the continued growth of the eye axis, causing myopia to deepen. This will also put an extra burden on the eyes, causing visual fatigue and affecting children's learning and life." Zhou Chao, a member of the Medical Technician Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association and director of the Optometry Center of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, explained that for teenagers, even if they have mild myopia, they need to follow the doctor's advice to wear glasses reasonably. If you are myopic, you must wear glasses for distant vision. Whether you also need to wear glasses for near vision should be determined based on the degree of myopia, the state of visual function, the nature of astigmatism and other related factors. Inappropriate wearing of glasses will cause instability in eye accommodation and convergence functions, thereby accelerating the progression of myopia.

"At present, children's eye behavior and eye environment have undergone tremendous changes, and the causes of myopia have increased exponentially. However, many parents still hold outdated ideas and do not pay enough attention to their children's eyesight. Dai Hongbin, member of the Standing Committee of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Hubei Provincial Chinese Medicine Association and chief physician of strabismus and amblyopia and pediatric ophthalmology at the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, reminded that the prevention and control of myopia in adolescents should adhere to the principle of "one increase and one decrease", that is, increase outdoor activities, reduce students' learning burden, and focus on the prevention and control of high myopia. Summer vacation is a high-incidence period for myopia. Parents must pay attention to their children's eye health. Once they find that their children have problems such as decreased vision, squinting, blinking, rubbing their eyes, and liking to watch TV at close range, they should go to a regular ophthalmic medical institution for a comprehensive examination in time, make a clear diagnosis, and formulate targeted myopia prevention and control plans.

Director Zhou Chao recommends that preschool children should go to a medical institution to have their refractive power and eye axis tested every three months or six months, and primary and secondary school students should go to a medical institution to have their refractive power and eye axis tested every six months to a year. If the refractive power changes significantly, it is necessary to replace it with suitable glasses in time according to the advice of an optometrist or doctor.

When many parents find that their children cannot see clearly, they often do not take it seriously, do not take any measures, and just let it go. Little do they know that myopia is not a self-limiting disease, and it is not like some colds that will always get better as long as time passes. What are the consequences of people with myopia not correcting their eyes or wearing glasses for a long time?

1. Inconvenience in life

The most direct feeling after myopia is blurred vision. You can't recognize your relatives at a distance of 5 meters, can't tell male from female at a distance of 10 meters, can't tell people from animals at a distance of 30 meters, your naked eyes can grind your skin, and you have to rely on your mobile phone to order... "Open-eyed blindness" probably refers to this situation.

2. Deepen the degree

Myopia is originally a flow-saving mode. In order to execute the brain's command to "see clearly", the eyes are often forced to adjust more, which will cause visual fatigue over time and lead to worsening myopia. If this continues, it will soon develop into high myopia.

3. Impact on development

The vision of adolescents and children is in the development stage. If they have blurred vision for a long time, especially if the degree of myopia in both eyes is very different and they do not wear glasses for correction in time, the image stimulation received by the retinas of both eyes will be inconsistent, which can easily cause amblyopia and strabismus.

What to do if you suspect myopia

Children and adolescents: Medical optometry to distinguish true from false myopia

When adolescents and children experience vision loss for the first time, they must go to a regular ophthalmic medical institution for a medical eye test to confirm whether it is pseudomyopia.

Pseudomyopia is common in teenagers. Due to excessive use of the eyes, the ciliary muscles continue to contract, resulting in blurred vision. It can be relaxed by looking into the distance. In severe cases, it can be relieved by taking medication and other methods, and vision can be restored to normal. However, if myopia is diagnosed, it cannot be restored by adjustment, and optical methods such as wearing glasses are needed to correct it and delay the progression of myopia.

Adults: Check for eye diseases and wear glasses scientifically

For adults, vision loss and blurred vision should not be taken lightly. Zhou Chao, a member of the Medical Technician Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, a national first-level (senior) optometrist, and director of the optometry center of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University, reminds that the causes of vision loss in adults, in addition to myopia, may also be hyperopia, astigmatism, amblyopia or some eye diseases. You need to go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible to find out the cause and prescribe the right medicine. If diagnosed with myopia, you need to wear glasses in time to delay the deepening of myopia.