Myopia Management
Why does myopia need to be managed? Myopia, or “nearsightedness” where vision is blurry at far distances, is increasing at an alarming rate, especially among school-aged children, with half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050. This is very concerning as having myopia impacts more than just the thickness of lenses in a child’s glasses. Having myopia increases the risk of sight-threatening eye diseases later in life including glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic macular degeneration. The higher the amount of myopia, the greater the risk of these conditions.
What causes myopia in children? Having parents with myopia (having one or two myopic parents increases the risk of the child developing myopia), ethnicity, and environment all play a role in the development of myopia in kids. Children who spend more time on near activities including reading and devices like a phone, tablet, or computer are more likely to develop myopia. Children who become myopic also tend to spend less time outdoors. Certain eye teaming and focusing issues can also increase myopia progression.
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How can I keep my child’s nearsightedness from progressing? Glasses and traditional contact lenses compensate for your child’s blurry distance vision, but they don’t stop or slow your child’s vision from continuing to deteriorate. The goal of myopia management is to slow the progression of myopia to reduce its impact on your child’s life.
Myopia is multifactorial - myopia management needs a comprehensive approach.
Myopia Management Treatments
at Summit Vision Center
At Summit Vision Center, our goal is to provide the safest and most effective treatment, which may include one or more of the following treatments:
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Orthokeratology "Ortho-K"
Corneal Reshaping Lenses
Ortho-K or CRT Lenses are highly effective in reducing myopia progression. These special lenses are made specifically for your child's eyes and are only worn during sleep. In a typical setting, your child will be glasses-free during the day.
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Vision Therapy
If your child has been diagnosed with binocular vision dysfunction (i.e. strabismus, convergence insufficiency) or accommodative dysfunction, then vision therapy may be needed to provide the most stability in myopia progression.
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Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses
Multifocal soft lenses like MiSight daily lenses are used just like standard soft lenses. When worn consistently, they are effective in reducing myopia progression.
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Low-Dose Atropine Eye Drops
Low-dose atropine has been proven to be a safe, effective way to slow down myopia progression. This is an option especially for those who are not candidates for contact lenses (i.e. age, corneal shape, sensory disorders).