Is Your Child’s Vision Worsening Every School Year? Palatine Parent’s Guide to Myopia Control

If your child seems to need a stronger glasses prescription every year, it may be a sign that their myopia is progressing. Myopia, also called nearsightedness, often develops during childhood and can worsen as the eyes continue to grow. For families in Palatine, regular eye exams and early myopia control can help us monitor these changes and take steps to slow progression.
 

Why Does My Child’s Myopia Keep Getting Worse?

Myopia occurs when the eye grows too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This makes distant objects appear blurry. Children may notice difficulty seeing the board at school, recognizing signs from a distance, or participating comfortably in sports.
 

Myopia can progress throughout the school years, particularly while a child is still growing. Increasing levels of myopia are also associated with a greater lifetime risk of certain eye conditions, which is one reason we recommend identifying and managing progression as early as possible.
 

Signs your child may need a myopia evaluation include:

• Needing stronger glasses prescriptions frequently

• Squinting to see objects across the classroom

• Sitting closer to the television or computer screen

• Holding books or devices unusually close

• Complaining that distant objects look blurry
   

Glasses Correct Vision, But Myopia Control Goes Further

Traditional glasses can provide clear distance vision, but standard lenses do not necessarily address the underlying progression of myopia. Myopia control focuses on slowing excessive eye growth while still providing your child with the vision correction they need.
 

At Palatine Vision Center, we can evaluate your child's prescription, eye health, visual needs, and rate of progression to determine an appropriate approach.
 

Myopia Control Options for Palatine Children

We offer several options designed specifically for childhood myopia management.
 

MiSight 1 Day contact lenses are daily disposable soft contact lenses designed to correct nearsightedness while helping slow myopia progression in children.
 

Stellest lenses are specialized eyeglass lenses that provide clear vision while incorporating technology designed to slow myopia progression. They can be an option for children and families who prefer glasses.
 

CRT lenses are specially designed contact lenses worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea. Your child removes them in the morning and can typically see clearly throughout the day without daytime glasses or contacts. Our team also offers CRT as one of our methods of myopia control.
 

When Should Parents Consider Myopia Control?

You do not need to wait until your child's prescription becomes significantly stronger. If we notice myopia developing or progressing during an eye exam, discussing myopia control early gives us an opportunity to manage changes while the eyes are still growing.
 

Regular comprehensive eye exams also allow us to compare your child's prescription from year to year and determine whether their myopia is progressing more quickly than expected.
 

If your child's distance vision seems to worsen every school year, schedule a myopia control evaluation with Palatine Vision Center at 456 W. Northwest Highway, Suite 100, Palatine, IL 60067 by calling (847) 358-4950.