What Is Myopia Control?

Being a parent is an important job, especially when it comes to managing your child’s eye health and vision.

One of the most common eye issues children can face is myopia, and untreated myopia could lead to vision problems later in life. That’s why we offer a range of myopia control strategies to help preserve your child’s eyesight.

These comprehensive strategies can help your child effectively manage myopia, and we can guide you through the process and the necessary information you need to support your child’s vision.

Preserve your child’s vision for the future. Schedule a myopia control appointment with us today to learn more!

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What is Myopia?

Nearsightedness, known as myopia, blurs distant objects due to the way it affects how light focuses in the eye.

Myopia is generally caused by the eye growing too long or the cornea becoming too curved. With proper care, we can slow its progression and safeguard your child’s vision.

Normal Eye

Normal Eye

Myopic Eye

Myopia

The Risks of High Myopia

By 2050, nearly half of every person on the planet will have some degree of myopia. The most effective way to manage myopia early in its development before it has too much of a chance to progress. The longer myopia progresses, the more likely it may become high myopia.

Unmanaged high myopia can elevate the likelihood of specific eye diseases and conditions, such as:

  • Cataracts
  • Retinal detachment
  • Myopic macular degeneration
  • Glaucoma

Myopia control strategies can help manage these risks and preserve your child’s vision. Your first step, though, should be to book an eye exam for your child, so we can take a deeper look at their needs and determine how we can help.

When Is It Time for Myopia Control?

When School Work Is Becoming Challenging

Uncorrected refractive errors can affect a child’s academic performance.

Research indicates that children with myopia face a higher likelihood of experiencing difficulties in school.

When Your Child Experiences Serious Symptoms

Myopia can result in various vision-related problems, such as eye strain and blurry vision.

Over time, myopia can also increase a child’s risk of developing more serious eye conditions throughout their life, so early intervention is crucial.

When Your Child Avoids Sports & Being Outdoors

Research has shown that children with myopia often face challenges participating in outdoor activities like sports.

Spending more time indoors can make children more vulnerable to the development of myopia.

The Link Between Vision & Learning

When kids have trouble with their eyesight, it can impact their day-to-day life at school, including reading from a distance, seeing the board, and participating in sports and other activities. This can lead to stress and confusion, and if left undiagnosed, it may cause them to fall behind their peers.

By seeking professional care and treatment options, such as corrective lenses or ortho-k, we can help your kids excel both inside and outside the classroom and improve their quality of life.

Signs & Symptoms of Myopia

Myopia can affect your children in different ways. Some common signs and symptoms of myopia can include:

  • Eye strain
  • Blurry vision when looking at faraway objects
  • Squinting to see distant objects
  • Headaches

If your child is experiencing these symptoms, a comprehensive eye exam with our team can help determine if myopia control methods such as ortho-k lenses could be beneficial.

Myopia Control Strategies

Myopia control isn’t about curing nearsightedness. Instead, it aims to slow down eye growth associated with myopia.

Myopia control methods help send signals to the eye to slow down its growth. Once we examine your child’s eyes, we can explore appropriate myopia control options and recommend strategies that suit their lifestyle.

Together, we can help preserve your child’s vision!

Ortho-K

Orthokeratology contact lenses work by gently reshaping the cornea while you sleep, temporarily correcting myopia. This temporary reshaping effect lasts throughout the day, reducing the need for glasses or contact lenses during waking hours.

After waking up, they can simply remove the lenses and experience clear vision all day long. This can be especially beneficial for children who play sports or participate in other physical activities,
as they won’t have to worry about breaking or losing their glasses.

Ortho-k lenses are a great option for children managing mild to moderate myopia.

Low-dose atropine is a promising treatment method for children with myopia. Studies have shown that a low dose of atropine in eye drop form can help slow the progression of myopia in children to reduce the risk of severe nearsightedness.

Low-dose atropine drops can work by suppressing the eye’s growth to slow down the progression of myopia. However, we might still recommend wearing contact lenses or glasses during the day to help keep your child’s vision clear.

MiSight daily contacts are specially crafted for children aged 8–12 with nearsightedness.

They work by changing how light focuses on the retina, which helps signal the eye to slow its growth and manage myopia progression.

Unlike traditional contact lenses, which simply correct vision, MiSight lenses work by altering how light enters the eye. This process helps to slow down the elongation of the eye and prevent the progression of myopia. The lenses contain a special “dual-focus” design, providing clear vision for distant and near objects.

Studies have shown that MiSight lenses slow the progression of myopia by an average of 59%.

ACUVUE Abiliti soft contacts prioritize comfort with breathable material to help eyes stay fresh and hydrated all day long. These daily disposable lenses are made from gas-permeable material that helps shape the cornea to manage myopia progression.

ACUVUE Abiliti soft contacts manage myopia by changing how light focuses on the retina so it can signal the eye to slow its growth and reduce myopia progression.

ZEISS MyoCare eyeglass lenses use a small central zone of clarity combined with myopic defocus on the near periphery to change how light focuses on the retina and manage myopia progression. This technique helps to reshape the eye and reduce the rate of myopia progression.

ZEISS MyoCare lenses are made from high-quality materials that provide clear, crisp vision and excellent comfort levels. They come in 2 distinct designs, depending on the patient’s age, and are available in both single vision and progressive lens options.

Take Our Myopia Quiz

Need more clarity? Take our myopia quiz down below.

Book Your Child’s Eye Exam Today

An eye exam can help diagnose myopia and other vision issues that impede learning and play. Book your child’s eye exam today!

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