Myopia and risk of blindness

It has been shown that the higher the degree of myopia, the greater the risks of

  • Macula degeneration
  • Retinal detachment
  • Retinal degeneration
  • Early onset cataracts
  • Glaucoma

These risks persist even with laser refractive surgery or lens implants.  The only way to reduce these risks are to

  • stop ageing/ growing old
  • stop the eyeball from becoming more myopic or elongating

We can’t prevent ageing, but we can do something about reducing myopia.  And the best time to do this is during the child’s growing up years, when the myopia onset and progression are most likely to occur.

Who is at greatest risk of worsening myopia?

Research has shown that the risk of becoming highly myopic are:

  • parental myopia (1 or 2 parents with myopia)
  • having myopia at a young age (below 7 years old)
  • having longer eye balls
  • spending less time outdoors
  • spending more time reading or using digital devices

It is important to detect myopia early in children, and to identify those at higher risk, so that myopia slowing strategies can be done.