Myopia in Children & Teens
Overview
Myopia in children and adolescents falls under the TCM categories of 'able to see near but timid to see far' (neng jin qie yuan) and 'dimmed vision' (mu hun). The disease is located in the eyes and closely related to the heart, liver, spleen, and kidney. Children often have 'liver excess and spleen insufficiency'; if congenital endowment is insufficient, acquired nourishment is improper, or prolonged near-screen viewing, poor reading posture, and inadequate lighting occur, liver-kidney essence-blood becomes deficient and the eyes lose nourishment; or spleen-stomach weakness leads to insufficient qi-blood production, clear yang fails to rise, and the ocular orifices are not filled; or heart yang insufficiency prevents the spirit-light from radiating. The pathogenesis is root deficiency with branch excess: essence-blood deficiency is the root, while prolonged duration leads to phlegm and blood stasis obstructing the collaterals as the branch. Clinically, near vision is clear and distant vision is blurred, often accompanied by eye fatigue, dryness, aching, and even headache, squinting, or head tilting to see.
Pattern differentiation (clinical patterns)
Liver-Kidney Depletion
Blurred distance vision with relatively clear near vision, dry eyes, dizziness, tinnitus, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, dream-disturbed sleep, pale red tongue with little coating, and a thin weak pulse.
Nourish the liver and kidney, enrich essence, and brighten the eyes.
Spleen-Stomach Weakness
Blurred distance vision, eye fatigue, sallow complexion, poor appetite, abdominal distension, loose stools, fatigue and lack of strength, pale tongue with white coating, and a slow weak pulse.
Strengthen the spleen and boost qi, raise yang, and brighten the eyes.
Heart Yang Insufficiency
Blurred distance vision, fatigue and aversion to cold, palpitations, pale and dull complexion, spontaneous sweating, pale swollen tongue with white coating, and a deep thin weak pulse.
Warm and supplement heart yang, boost qi, and brighten the eyes.
Connections
Daily care & prevention
Spend at least two hours outdoors daily in natural light; limit near work, resting and looking far away for five minutes every thirty minutes; maintain reading posture 'one chi, one fist, one cun' with adequate soft lighting; eat a balanced diet, reduce sweets and greasy foods, and consume dark vegetables, goji berry, black sesame, and walnut; ensure adequate sleep, at least ten hours for primary school students; persist with eye exercises and press Jingming (BL1), Sibai (ST2), Taiyang (EX-HN5), and Fengchi (GB20); have regular vision checks and establish a refractive档案.
When to seek medical care
Sudden vision drop or visual distortion in a short period; eye pain, redness, photophobia, tearing, or visual field defect; flashes of light, sudden increase of floaters, or curtain-like shadow; progressive squinting or head tilting; headache, nausea, and vomiting; high myopia patients should avoid severe impact and breath-holding strain, and be alert to retinal detachment.