If your child squints at the board, sits closer to the TV, or struggles to see street signs from the car, it may be more than a phase — it could be myopia, and Cullman optometrist Dr. Spencer Boozer wants parents to catch it early.
“The rate of myopia is rapidly growing around the world,” says Boozer, “and myopia progresses fastest in younger children, especially those under age 12.” Myopia, or nearsightedness, makes distant objects blurry while up-close vision stays clear. Left unmanaged, it doesn’t just mean a stronger prescription down the road — it raises a child’s lifetime risk of serious eye disease.
That’s where myopia management comes in. Unlike standard single-vision glasses, which do nothing to slow the condition’s progression, today’s options — including FDA-approved specialty spectacle lenses, hard and soft contact lenses, and eye drops — can meaningfully slow how fast a child’s nearsightedness worsens. “When diagnosed early, nearsightedness has more treatment options than ever before,” Boozer says.
His message to Cullman parents is direct: don’t assume your child just has to “live with it.” That was the only option when Boozer himself was growing up. Now, early diagnosis and a personalized management plan can make a real difference in a child’s adult years. “Embracing myopia management now will pay off in their adult years by reducing the risk of diseases that can appear later,” he says. It isn’t surgery, and no treatment promises to fully stop progression — but slowing it down is a meaningful win worth pursuing.
The takeaway for parents: regular eye exams matter, especially before age 12, when myopia progresses fastest and intervention has the most impact.
Boozer brings deep roots to this work. A Cullman native and 2009 Cullman High School graduate, he earned his Doctor of Optometry from UAB in 2017 and joined his father at Boozer Eyecare that same year, making it Cullman’s first second-generation optometry practice. He purchased the practice from his dad in 2023, and the two still work together today, continuing a shared vision for comprehensive, full-scope eye care.
Today, Boozer Eyecare’s team of four doctors and more than a dozen staff offer everything from diabetic eye exams to dry eye treatment, glaucoma management, and a full optical and skincare boutique — all with one goal: catching eye problems early, in kids and adults alike, right here in Cullman.