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.

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.

We recommend the safest and most effective options, which include:

  • Multifocal soft contact lenses
  • Orthokeratology “ortho-k” corneal reshaping lenses
  • Vision Therapy (if certain focusing and eye teaming deficits are driving the myopia)
  • Prescription low-dose atropine eye drops

Call us at (425) 276-0388 to schedule an appointment so that we can evaluate your child’s vision and make a customized treatment plan to slow or even stop their myopia progression.