Dr Phil Kieran: I'm worried about my sporty child who recently got glasses

I worry that my child's sight will deteriorate, what can I do?

Will my child getting glasses impact his sporting opportunities? Picture: iStock

My 11-year-old recently got glasses and was told it’s likely he’ll need a higher prescription each year, until he’s about 18. He’s a keen sports player, which is one worry; the other is that his eyesight is expected to deteriorate. Is there anything we can do to improve it?

I first had to wear glasses when I turned seven, and my eyesight steadily worsened from there. I’m not sure if myopia — to give shortsightedness its medical name — was the reason I was terrible at football, but it certainly didn’t help.

By the time I was 18, I found it difficult to see anything more than about 20cm away without my glasses or contact lenses. I ended up getting laser surgery to correct this in my 20s after it stopped deteriorating.

What is Myopia?

Myopia is extremely common — about 15% of 12–13-year-olds have it.

To understand the condition, it helps to know how the eye normally sees.

When light enters the eye, it needs to be focused onto the retina as a clear, sharp image. The eye does this by bending the light using the lens. As we grow, our eyes get a bit bigger. This increases the distance between the front of the eye and the retina at the back of the eye. If this distance becomes too long, we end up with myopia.

Your son likely won’t be as short-sighted as I became, for two reasons.

First, his started a bit older than I was, and the rate of progression of myopia is affected by how young you are when it begins. Second, he is a keen sports player. Hopefully, this means he spends a decent amount of time outdoors, which is protective against the development and progression of myopia.

We think that exposure to bright light reduces the eye’s tendency to grow too long from front to back as the body develops. This benefit is something we should all keep in mind to reduce our children’s risk of myopia.

Aside from your son spending time outdoors, I would suggest talking to your optometrist and asking for any advice they can offer to help prevent your son’s eyesight from deteriorating further.

What treatment options are there for Myopia?

A number of treatments are being researched. These include specific glass lenses that encourage the eye to use less peripheral vision; contact lenses worn overnight that restore normal daytime vision; and eye drops.

Unfortunately, these treatments are not widely implemented or funded, and more research will likely be needed before governments are comfortable allocating money for them.

Finally, your son shouldn’t be worried about needing glasses. Most sports now allow players to wear special prescription goggles or glasses if they need them, so he shouldn’t see this as something that will impede him moving forward.

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