My Child’s Prescription Keeps Getting Worse: What Parents in Woodstock Need to Know About Myopia
Every year, you bring your child to the eye doctor. Every year, the prescription gets a little stronger. You start to wonder: is this normal? Will it ever stop? And is there anything we can do about it?
These are questions we hear from parents in Woodstock and throughout Cherokee County all the time — and they’re exactly the right ones to be asking.
What Is Myopia, and Why Does It Worsen in Children?
Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, is a condition where distant objects appear blurry while close objects remain clear. It occurs when the eye grows slightly too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it.
In children, myopia isn’t static — the eye is still growing, which means the prescription can change significantly year over year, often between the ages of 6 and 16. This is called myopia progression, and it’s become increasingly common. Research suggests that factors like genetics, limited outdoor time, and extended near work (reading, screens) all contribute to how quickly a child’s myopia worsens.
Why does myopia progression matter beyond needing stronger glasses?
Higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased lifetime risk of serious eye conditions including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Slowing progression during childhood doesn’t just reduce the prescription — it may meaningfully reduce these long-term risks.
How Do I Know if My Child’s Myopia Is Progressing Too Fast?
Some degree of prescription change is normal as children grow. But if your child’s prescription is increasing by -0.75 diopters or more per year, or if they started becoming nearsighted at a young age (before 8 or 9), their myopia may be progressing at a rate where intervention is worth discussing.
Signs to watch for between annual exams include:
- Squinting at the board at school or at screens
- Sitting closer to the TV or holding devices very close
- Frequent complaints of headaches, especially after school
- Saying their glasses “don’t feel right” just months after getting a new prescription
What Can Actually Be Done About It?
Traditional glasses and standard contact lenses correct myopia — they help your child see clearly — but they don’t slow the eye from continuing to elongate. Myopia management takes a different approach, using specialized optical interventions to address the underlying progression.
At Family Eye Clinic at Towne Lake, we offer MiSight® 1 day contact lenses as our primary myopia management option.
What is MiSight® 1 day?
MiSight® 1 day by CooperVision is the first FDA-approved soft contact lens specifically designed to slow myopia progression in children. It uses a dual-focus optical design: the center of the lens corrects distance vision as normal, while peripheral zones create a signal that may slow the elongation of the eye.
In clinical trials, children wearing MiSight® 1 day showed an average of 59% reduction in myopia progression compared to children wearing standard single-vision lenses over a three-year period.
As a daily disposable lens, there’s no cleaning or storage involved — your child puts in a fresh pair every morning and throws them away at night. Most children ages 8 and up can learn to wear contacts successfully, and many find the transition easier than parents expect.
Is my child a good candidate?
MiSight® is FDA-approved for children ages 8–12, though it can be continued beyond that age. Good candidates typically have a documented pattern of myopia progression and are motivated to wear contact lenses consistently. During a myopia management evaluation, we’ll review your child’s prescription history, measure their eye length if indicated, and walk you through whether MiSight® — or another intervention — is the right fit.
What About Outdoor Time and Screen Limits?
While they’re not a substitute for clinical intervention in children with significant progression, lifestyle factors genuinely matter. Research consistently shows that children who spend more time outdoors — ideally 90 minutes or more per day — have lower rates of myopia onset and slower progression. Natural light exposure appears to play a direct role in healthy eye development.
Limiting continuous near work and encouraging outdoor play are habits worth building regardless of whether your child starts a formal myopia management program.
The Bottom Line for Woodstock Parents
If your child’s glasses prescription has been climbing every year, it’s worth having a conversation with an eye doctor who understands myopia management — not just vision correction. The window for intervention is during childhood and adolescence, when the eye is still growing.
Family Eye Clinic at Towne Lake offers myopia management evaluations for children ages 8 and up. Dr. Bugenske will review your child’s prescription history, discuss whether MiSight® is appropriate, and answer any questions you have about the process.
