February 14, 2023 – Eye drops commonly used before eye exams may delay the event of myopia in children, in line with a recent study.
Atropine drops are used to calm down the attention muscles and dilate the pupils. Using a low concentration could prevent myopia, or nearsightedness, in children, says research in Journal of the American Medical Association.
About one-third of all Americans are nearsighted, and that percentage is anticipated to rise to just about 60% inside 30 years as people spend more time indoors and watching electronic screens. The Wall Street Journal reported. Severe myopia can result in retinal detachment, glaucoma and cataracts.
“Myopia occurs when the eyeball elongates and light entering the eye no longer reaches the retina at the back of the eye, doctors say,” the newspaper wrote. “This leads to the need for glasses or contact lenses that redirect light back to the retina.”
Atropine drops prevent people from seeing things near them, said Nimesh Patel of Harvard Medical School, who was not involved within the research. He said it isn't known exactly how the drops prevent nearsightedness.
Researchers from Hong Kong studied 353 children aged 4 to 9. One group was given a placebo every evening for 2 years, one other group was given a low dose of the drops, and a 3rd group was given the next dose. The children who received the upper dose were less more likely to be short-sighted and their eyeballs lengthened less.
Researchers hope that delaying the onset of myopia, which progresses rapidly in young people, may make myopia less severe in maturity.