The myopic child is sentenced to a lifelong dependence on wearing spectacles and contacts lenses to see clearly. A considerable amount of time and money will be spent over the years to purchase these optical aids and accessories.
Spectacles wear is by far the most common method of correcting myopia. However, spectacles wear has numerous drawbacks. The concave lens used for correction is thin in the middle but thickens out considerably at the edges. This, besides being unsightly, induces prismatic optical distortions if the glasses are not well centred with resulting complaints of spectacles wear intolerance. The field of view is unnatural and restricted especially in high-power glasses. Visual acuity may be worse than 6/6 despite best spectacles correction because of myopic macular degeneration.
Physically, spectacles tend to weigh and slip down the nose. The frames leave dents at the temples and sides of the nose and often hurt the back of the ears. The lenses will get foggy with humidity changes. Overall academic performance and pursuit of many sporting and outdoor activities are adversely affected.
For those suffering from high myopia, wearing thick unsightly glasses and seeing poorly will affect self-esteem. As a result, social activities in the prime years of life are often curtailed.
Contact lens wear, often thought of as a simple and safe alternative to wearing glasses, is also not without its own set of problems. In fact, more time and money is spent on contact lens wear than on spectacles wear. Long hours of daily contact lens wear over the years will take its toll on the eyes and cause problems of contact lens wear intolerance as well as medical complications such as allergic eyelid disorders and potentially blinding cornea ulcers.
