In people with myopia, their corneas develop to an abnormal length such that light from distant objects is refracted in, but lands before—instead of on—the retina. In young growing children, a variety of reasons could result in an elongated eyeball (or a more curvy cornea), ultimately resulting in blurry vision. It means that they will struggle to see distant objects like blackboards, and so copy from their friends’ notes.

Myopia emerges in childhood and grows through the teenage years. It is the main type of uncorrected refractive errors that are responsible for avoidable vision loss the world over. Uncorrected myopia profoundly impacts the ability of an individual to perform tasks, and to develop to their full potential [1]. In developing countries, myopia is believed to cause a productivity loss of over USD 250 billion dollars [2]. A simple pair of glasses can correct myopia. 

The causes behind this condition are unknown. However, a family history and some behavioral habits seem to trigger its onset and progression. Some of the risk factors are:

• The current digital ecosystem (especially personal devices like phones and tablets)
• Intense near work (books, exam papers, guides)
• Limited outdoor time and exposure to sunlight
• Parental myopia
• Frequent change in spectacle power

It is important to identify myopia early. If myopia progresses to higher (negative) powers of glasses, the individual may be at risk of other conditions later in life. High myopia (glasses with -6 power or more) can put them at risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, or cataracts when they are older. 

Myopia begins in young kids. Some of the possible symptoms are:

• Difficulty with tasks that involve distant viewing (TV, blackboards etc.)
• Squinting at distant objects or 
• Adapting for distance: figuring out ways to do things at proximity instead of distance.

Timely identification of kids who need myopic correction is critical to arresting the progression of myopia.  [3]

There is no cure for myopia after it sets in. Kids are advised to cut down on near work and spend more time in sunlight as that seems to have a strong effect on outcomes. Therapy is available to arrest myopia progression and ensure that vision does not deteriorate. These include:

• Spectacles: Eyeglasses are the simplest means of correcting myopia. A single-vision lens is usually prescribed for vision correction. However, there is now a lot of research around more complex lenses, like bifocals or progressive addition lenses. Defocus lenses, with a central zone for vision correction and a plus power on the periphery to slow eyeball elongation, are seeing growing evidence of success.
• Contact lenses: Contact lenses too are an option for myopia control. LVPEI researchers have had some success with extended depth of focus contact lens in controlling myopia  [4]. However, contact lenses require greater care than glasses.
• Low-dose atropine: There is some evidence that regular use of low-dose atropine can help with myopia control. However, the side-effects of pupil dilation and blurred vision needs to be taken into account with this approach. .