How to Diagnose Myopia

A routine eye exam can diagnose nearsightedness in your child. Eye doctors often first detect myopia in kids of elementary school age.

Early diagnosis is vital.

If you think your child may have myopia, call the Myopia Treatment Center at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh at 412-692-8940.

About the Myopia Treatment Center

The Myopia Treatment Center has experts in both childhood and adult eye conditions and diseases at the UPMC Eye Center.

Our goals are to:

  • Prevent myopia from occurring.
  • Find reasons to treat it.
  • Design a clinical treatment pathway — or a standard way of treating myopia.

Myopia Calculator

We endorse the use of the Brien Holden Vision Institute myopia calculator for guidance on the possible benefits, over time, of starting to treat myopia progression using various methods including glasses, contact lenses, orthokeratology, atropine drops, or a combination of treatment options.

The myopia calculator tool helps eye care practitioners, individuals, and caregivers apply the research-based evidence for various management options and enables the practitioner to demonstrate and discuss risk versus benefit for individual cases.