Hyperopia in children
In hyperopia, the eyeball is shorter than normal. As a result, after light rays carrying an image enter the eye and are refracted, the focal point falls behind the retina rather than on it, as it should in normal vision. This produces a blurred image on the retina, and the child sees nearby objects as unclear.
It should be noted that almost all newborns have childhood hyperopia of approximately 3 dioptres. As the child grows, however, the eyeball increases in size and the optical focus moves onto the retina. But what should be done if this does not happen?
At Crystal Vision clinics, for hyperopia in children, we carry out thorough diagnostics and individually select the most effective method of restoring your child's vision.
When should hyperopia treatment begin?
In hyperopia, the eyes are under constant strain, which can lead to serious complications:
- Amblyopia ("lazy eye") — the brain begins to ignore signals from the weaker eye
- Strabismus — strain on the eye muscles causes the eye to deviate
Hyperopia treatment should begin as early as possible, since the child's visual system is formed in the first years of life, and it is during this period that it is most adaptable and treatment is most effective.
Early initiation of therapy allows us to:
- Stimulate the growth of the eyeball towards normal size and reduce the degree of hyperopia
- Prevent the development of amblyopia and strabismus
- Fully prepare the child for the visual demands of school
- In 95% of cases, free children from permanent dependence on glasses in the future
DAVS — comprehensive vision treatment packages at competitive prices
Unique patented treatment methods using modern technologies are now available in a comprehensive format at competitive prices. Since most eye conditions require regular procedures and systematic monitoring, Crystal Vision has created Russia's first comprehensive packages for complete vision restoration. Contact Crystal Vision specialists to find your DAVS package.
Treatment of hyperopia
At Crystal Vision clinics, our primary goal is not simply to prescribe glasses, but to stimulate the natural growth of the eye and help the child's visual system begin to develop correctly.
Our treatment includes:
- Accurate diagnostics using modern equipment — enabling identification of the true degree of hyperopia and its latent forms.
- Gentle spectacle correction — the prescribed glasses are often weaker than the actual degree of hyperopia. This helps softly stimulate the eye to "grow" to the required size.
- Courses of conservative treatment — this is the foundation of our approach. Each course consists of 5–6 different methods, delivered in a play-based format. Children enjoy working on specialist vision training devices, making the treatment process comfortable.
- Individual therapy plan — treatment courses (4–5 times per year) and the selection of methods are prescribed by the ophthalmologist on a personalised basis for each child. We also provide recommendations and, where necessary, equipment for home use.
Myths about hyperopia
Glasses are for life
In many cases of hyperopia, with correct management it is possible to free the child from permanent dependence on glasses. Some children may require spectacle correction for near work. For high degrees of hyperopia, following treatment of amblyopia, excimer laser correction may be used, making it possible to eliminate the need for glasses entirely in adolescence.
Pinhole ("Laser Vision") glasses
In recent years, so-called polydiphragmatic pinhole glasses have become available. Manufacturers claim that regular use leads to rapid correction of any eye condition. In myopia, for instance, pinhole glasses simply create better visual conditions by increasing the depth of optical focus — the same effect achieved by squinting. For hyperopia, an apparent improvement in visual quality may be observed, but this improvement is illusory and is not supported by scientific research. These glasses have no therapeutic effect whatsoever. They cause no harm, but patients waste precious time and do not receive appropriate treatment.
Bilberry preparations
As a rule, all the "bilberry tablets" that are prescribed are dietary supplements and consist of multivitamin combinations. However, unlike genuine medicinal multivitamin preparations, dietary supplements have not been approved for clinical use by the Russian Pharmacological Committee and hold only Ministry of Health authorisation. This means that full-scale clinical trials of these preparations — particularly in children — have not been conducted. We therefore do not use these products in paediatric ophthalmology. We recommend to our patients established multivitamin preparations such as Complivit, Undevit, Revit, and similar products, which are well regarded and approved for use by paediatricians. In hyperopia, vitamins do not play a decisive role in treatment, as the condition does not cause organic changes to the fundus.
