My 11-year-old daughter cannot see or read letters from a distance. Kindly help.

Hello,

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It appears that your daughter has developed myopia or shortsightedness. This usually manifests around the age of 11 to 12 years. It usually happens if either parent has a similar problem but can happen sporadically also. These days, it is a common problem with an increased incidence of children developing this problem due to computers, mobile phones, etc. and fewer outdoor activities. Perhaps due to the pandemic, children have been spending most of the time indoors. Myopia usually occurs when the eyeball continues to grow, and her power might keep increasing until the age of 21 years.The latest treatment options are low dose Atropine eye drops like Atroped eye drops, can be applied at night before sleeping. Myopia prevention spectacles like Myopilux or MyoVision, which is a special type of spectacle and the latest technology for reducing/preventing myopia progression. These spectacles are a little difficult to find, so you will have to find out about it from a reputed optical store. Atroped eye drops are available in our country. But you will have to talk to your ophthalmologist when you meet him after 15 days. She is on antibiotic eye drops because of an infection, so the doctor cannot prescribe her glasses now. It would help if you encouraged her to spend more time outdoors in natural sunlight for Vitamin D and read in a properly lit room. Reduce the usage of computers and mobiles to less than two hours daily. You can also research yoga for the eyes. This is supposed to prevent progression. Some patients say it has even helped reduce it and is more effective when started at an early age.

Hello,

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Since we do not know how much her power is, I cannot comment on whether it will go away by 21 years of age. But usually, once the child stops growing, the power will stabilize. Lasik laser to remove power can be done only after 21 years and when the power is stable. The eye drops, I suggested, reduces the progression of myopia. And she will still require to wear glasses irrespective of clarity of vision and prevent progression and lazy eye. She can switch to contact lenses when she is about 16 years if she is against glasses. In the meanwhile, tell her not to rub her eyes because astigmatism can occur. Astigmatism is a condition where the front part of the eye (cornea) is not spherical but oval. Since she has not been prescribed glasses yet, we do not know if she has that. Whichever doctor you decide to go to, ask them about Atroped drops and the special lenses I mentioned viz Myopilux by Essilor. According to what I researched, these special glasses reduce the progression by 60%, which in my opinion is quite significant. There are many reputed eye hospitals in your area. You can visit them. I hope this helps.

Hello,

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I went through the prescription (attachment removed to protect patient identity). It says she has been prescribed -1.5 DS in both eyes. I would not suggest you waste too much money on anti-glare and blue light blocking glasses if it is too expensive, as children tend to scratch and break their glasses inadvertently. These glasses are for people who use computers for 8 hours or more. But 1.5 index is good as it will be lighter, and she will be more comfortable to use it constantly. Just get her checked every six months to monitor if any change in power is required.