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月度归档： 2026年1月

发表于 通过 Dr. Sherman Tung

Why We Don’t Rely on Prescriptions Alone When Managing Childhood Myopia

If your child’s prescription keeps changing, it’s easy to feel like you’re always reacting instead of getting ahead of the problem. You see the numbers go up year after year, and it feels like you’re stuck watching from the sidelines.

At Eyelab, our team looks beyond the glasses prescription to measure axial length, which can help explain why myopia is progressing, how fast it’s changing, and how myopia treatment is working.

What Axial Length Means for Your Child’s Vision

Axial length is the front-to-back length of the eye, measured in millimetres. Parents often ask this first, so it’s important to understand what this means for your child’s vision.

In children with myopia, the eye grows too long lengthwise. That stretching can contribute to blurry distance vision and raise the risk of certain eye diseases later on.

Here’s the key difference: A glasses prescription tells you how blurry your child’s vision is today. Axial length tells you what the eye is physically doing over time.

Why Prescriptions Alone Can Miss the Full Picture

Your child’s glasses prescription can change slowly, quickly, or sometimes not much at all—even while the eye is still growing longer. This can be misleading for several reasons, including:

  • Prescriptions can change based on focusing effort
  • Growth can continue even when vision seems stable
  • Glasses don’t show whether treatments are slowing eye growth

According to International Myopia Institute consensus reports, axial length is the most reliable way to track myopia progression over time. That’s why many myopia-focused optometrists treat axial length as a core measurement rather than an add-on.

How Eye Growth Affects Your Child’s Future Risk

When your child’s eye grows longer or faster than expected for their age, several things can happen. Myopia may worsen more rapidly, making treatment decisions more time-sensitive.

Early intervention matters because research consistently shows that slowing axial elongation reduces future risk, even if some prescription change still occurs. The goal of modern myopia management isn’t perfection—it’s reducing the risk of high myopia later in your child’s life.

The Eyelab Approach to Myopia Care

At Eyelab, axial length measurement is part of how our eye doctors individualize care for your child. Our team doesn’t believe in a 1-size-fits-all approach to myopia treatment.

Instead, we use axial length data to:

  • Establish a true baseline 
  • Compare growth against age-based averages 
  • Track response to treatment over time 
  • Adjust strategies early

What the Measurement Process Looks Like

As a parent, it’s normal to worry about how your child will feel during a test, especially when it comes to their vision. At our practice, we take a caring approach to make sure you and your child feel comfortable every step of the way. Using the Topcon MYAH device, axial length measurement is quick, noninvasive, and completely safe for children.

Your child simply looks at a target while the instrument measures eye length using light. It’s that simple.

How Often Your Child Needs Follow-Up

Most children in active myopia management at Eyelab are measured every 3–6 months. That schedule helps the eye doctor to catch fast growth early, confirm whether treatment is helping, and decide when changes are actually needed.

This timing mirrors recommendations from professional optometry resources and international myopia management guidelines. Our eye doctors can help determine the right schedule for your child’s specific needs.

Where to Find Axial Length Monitoring Across Canada

Eyelab isn’t alone in Vancouver in taking this approach. Across Canada, clinics focused on evidence-based myopia care are using axial length to guide decisions, not just prescriptions.

If you’re looking for clinics that include axial length measurement as part of myopia care, here are examples across Canada:

The International Myopia Institute consensus reports emphasize early detection, consistent monitoring, and objective tracking, which is why axial length monitoring is a part of how our team cares for growing eyes.

Learn More About Our Approach

If you’re concerned about your child’s myopia (or want to make sure their current plan is working), Eyelab Doctors of Optometry can help. Book a myopia consultation to discover how axial length measurement can fit into your child’s care and help give you the clear answers you need to protect their vision for years to come.

发表于 通过 Dr. Sherman Tung

What Causes Myopia to Worsen?

Have you noticed your child’s prescription getting stronger each year? You’re not alone: Many parents watch with concern as their child’s vision seems to get worse, despite wearing glasses or contacts. At 眼科验光医生, we want to help families understand and manage these changes through myopia management solutions.

Myopia can worsen when your child’s eye continues growing longer than normal, and several everyday factors can influence this process, including too much screen time, not enough outdoor activity, and even how they wear their glasses.

How Your Child’s Eyes Change with Myopia

When your child has myopia, their eye grows too long from front to back. This makes distant objects look blurry because light doesn’t focus correctly on the retina (the back of the eye).

Myopia typically develops during childhood and the teenage years when the eyes are growing. Unfortunately, it’s a progressive condition—once it starts, the eye usually continues to grow longer over time.

Signs Your Child’s Myopia May Be Getting Worse

You might notice changes in your child’s behaviour between eye exams that signal their vision is getting less clear. These signs can help you catch progression early:

  • Squinting more frequently when looking at distant objects
  • Sitting closer to the TV or holding books very close
  • Frequent headaches or eye strain
  • Complaints about blurry vision at school
  • Rubbing eyes often or excessive tearing

Regular comprehensive eye exams can help track these changes and adjust treatment plans accordingly.

Main Factors That Can Influence Myopia Progression

Too Much Screen Time and Close-Up Work

When your child spends hours looking at nearby objects for long periods, like computers, tablets, or smartphones, the visual signals received by the eye can be altered. These visual signals can influence myopia progression in some children. Fifteen minutes of a near task followed by a 5 minute break is a good idea for anyone spending time on screens.

Not Enough Outdoor Time

Research shows that outdoor time significantly helps protect children’s vision. Children who don’t spend at least 1–2 hours outside each day may face a higher risk of myopia progression. Natural outdoor light helps regulate healthy eye growth in ways that indoor lighting can’t.

Family History and Genetics

If you or your partner has myopia, your child has a higher chance of developing and experiencing faster progression. Genetic factors can influence how your child’s eyes grow and develop their shape over time.

How Glasses and Contacts Can Affect Progression

Regular glasses and contacts weren’t designed to slow progression—they just help your child see clearly. Specialized myopia-control lenses work differently from regular prescriptions by helping to slow eye growth. Learning about the different types of contact lenses can help you make informed decisions about your child’s treatment options.

What Happens if Myopia Keeps Getting Worse

Uncontrolled myopia progression can lead to serious problems later in your child’s life. Higher prescriptions mean thicker, heavier glasses that can affect your child’s confidence and activities.

Increased Risk of Eye Problems

Severe myopia increases your child’s risk of developing other eye conditions, such as retinal problems, glaucoma (high eye pressure, which can cause damage), and cataracts (clouding of the eye’s lens) as they get older. These complications can permanently threaten their vision, which is why early intervention is important for their long-term eye health.

Let’s Protect Your Child’s Vision Together

The team at Eyelab Doctors of Optometry can help. We can recommend myopia management treatments tailored to your child’s needs. Contact our team to learn how we can help protect your family’s vision and reduce the risk of serious eye problems in the future.