Myopia Control
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common vision condition where distant objects appear blurry while close objects are seen clearly. Many cases of myopia can be easily treated with corrective lenses, but severe cases may require additional treatment.
What is Myopia?
Nearsighted eyes see close objects clearly, while objects far away are blurry without glasses correction. Myopic vision occurs when the eye’s shape causes light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it, distorting vision and causing more distant objects to appear blurred. Myopia occurs in children and adults. Researchers have predicted that by 2050, half of the world’s population will likely be myopic (about 5 billion people). In the United States, the incidence of myopia has doubled over the past 50 years.
Myopia Treatment
High myopia – generally defined as nearsightedness requiring a glasses correction of -6.00 diopters or more – is associated with a higher risk of eye diseases such as retinal detachments, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and early cataracts. Reducing the severity of nearsightedness not only improves quality of life, but could also decrease the chance of developing one of these vision-threatening diseases. There are ways to slow down the progression of myopia, and the younger the person is, the better our treatment process will work.
There are currently three treatment options for slowing down myopic progression in kids: orthokeratology, soft multifocal contact lenses and atropine eye drops.
Myopia Treatment Types
To schedule a myopia control consultation for your child with Dr. Phillis or Dr. Donnelly, call 603-882-0311.
Orthokeratology, or ortho-k, involves using specially designed contact lenses that reshape the cornea over time and correct vision, similar to how dental braces straighten teeth. Typically worn at night, these lenses reshape the eye’s front surface while you sleep. Although vision improvements are reversible, they can be maintained with consistent use of the lenses.
Myopia progression in children and teenagers occurs when the eye grows faster than intended. Myopia control soft contact lenses are designed to slow this growth by directing some light rays to focus in front of the retina, signaling the eye to stop growing. These special contact lens designs have proven effective in managing myopia in children and teenagers.
Higher dose Atropine eye drops are used to enlarge the pupil and stop the eye’s focusing mechanism. In low doses, they have shown to be effective in myopia control with minimal side effects. Low-dose drops are typically used once a day, at night time.
