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Eye and Vision Care

Spectacle Wear in Myopia

04/02/2010

Question:

My 9and a half year old son has been prescribed glasses of -1.0 for myopia. Does he need to wear them even while reading? Or is it all right to wear them just for distance vision? Some sites say it can cause further worsening if he wears them for reading. Some others say not wearing continuously can cause lazy eye. I dont want to take any risks. Please help.

Answer:

Your son has developed myopia at a typical age. It will likely progress by 0.5 D per year until his teens, but there is variability in the rate and the age of stabilization. It is perfectly fine for him to just wear his glasses for distance vision. Not wearing them to read will not harm his eyes, and he is at virtually zero risk of developing a lazy eye. Likewise, there is no compelling evidence that wearing his glasses for reading will make things worse. As his myopia increases, so will his reliance on his correction.

If he is an active kid, you could discuss contact lenses with your eye doctor.

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Response by:

Mark Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD Mark Bullimore, MCOptom, PhD
Formerly:
Professor
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University