Family GP, Dr Sue Morrison, discusses the myths and facts behind vision problems.

Raisingkids member's problem
My 10 year-old has been prescribed correctors for her short-sightedness. A friend told me that wearing glasses gives eye muscles the false impression that they don't have to 'work' to correct the problem, and this stops them growing at their own rate. Is this true? I don't trust High Street opticians to give me unbiased advice, as they've got a vested interest in selling more glasses!

Dr Morrison's advice
By the age of 10, the development of the visual system is more or less complete. Short and long-sightedness often run in families and are usually related to the shape of the eyeball. The lens in the eye focuses the visual image either too far in front of the retina (the lining at the back of the eye that is light sensitive) or too far behind it, so that what is seen is unclear and fuzzy. This simple problem can be corrected by wearing lenses (in glasses or contacts) to focus the image clearly on the retina.

However, there may be other associated problems, for example:

Astigmatism - where the eye also has trouble reconciling images clearly in the horizontal (sideways)and vertical (up/down)planes. This is due to an imbalance in tension in the muscles around the eyeball.
Amblyopia - poor vision (usually in one eye) usually without an obvious cause, but occasionally following an uncorrected squint. If it's diagnosed before eight or nine years, it can sometimes be corrected by covering the 'good' eye with a patch to encourage the 'lazy' eye to develop more.

Some people believe that short and long-sightedness can be resisted by making the eye work harder and that it doesn't have to bother if you wear lenses. It's best to be absolutely certain about the specific problems. These should be diagnosed by either an optometrist (more specially qualified than an optician) or a medical eye specialist (ophthalmologist). Your school doctor or GP will be able to advise about specialist advice.

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