Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is an eye condition where an individual needs visual correction to see objects in the distance. It has been thought that a combination of genetics and environmental conditions are key factors that influence its progression.
Over recent years, it has now become one of the most growing visual concerns and increasingly common in children. Unfortunately, childhood myopia tends to get progressively worse as the child ages and without proper intervention, a relatively mild case of childhood myopia could become end up being quite severe by the time the child reaches adulthood. This can not only lead to the need for stronger and thicker glasses but can also significantly increases the risk of vision loss such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular disorders.
Although an outright cure for myopia has not been discovered there are now a number of scientifically proven treatments, collectively known as myopia control, to slow down the rate of progression of myopia.
At See You Vision Care, we are proud to offer myopia control; a series of treatments and therapies meant to slow down the progression of myopia and help preserve your child’s future vision.
My child is becoming more nearsighted. What can I do?
Treatment options
Multifocal contact lenses are specially designed lenses to have variable powers in different zones to help allow a person to see at far and at near. While it’s primarily use has been to correct presbyopia, researchers are finding that conventional or modified multifocal soft contact lenses are also effective tools for myopia control.
Atropine therapy has been found in several studies to be effective in reducing the progression of myopia. It is ideal for young children for whom other methods of myopia control may not be a suitable fit. When it is used as an adjunctive therapy with other modalities of myopia control, it has been shown to enhance the myopia control effect and significantly slow down the progression of myopia.
Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, involves the use of specially designed rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses that are worn overnight to temporarily alter the shape of the cornea.
These lenses are primarily prescribed to:
– Provide a reversible alternative to eye surgery by temporarily correcting myopia and other vision problems
– Slow down the rate of progression of childhood myopia
While a person is sleeping, Ortho-K works by gently moulding and reshaping the cornea to allow a person to see clearly when they wake up. When the lens is removed in the morning, the cornea begins to slowly return to its original shape but is still able to maintain good vision during waking hours.
Miyosmart by Hoya is a specially designed spectacle lens that uses D.I.M.S (defocus integrated multiple segments) technology to help slow down the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children. After a 2 year clinical study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, it was shown to slow down myopia progression by 60% (versus single vision).
Stellest by Essilor is a specially designed spectacle lens that uses H.A.L.T (highly aspheric lenslet target) technology to help slow down the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children. After a 2 year clinical study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was shown to slow down myopia progression by 67% (versus single vision)
The progression of myopia can be due to the eyeball growing too long, or the power of the cornea (front surface of the eye) is too strong, which causes the light rays to focus in front of the eyeball. Glasses help move the light rays to the focal point located at the macula (structure of the retina responsible for central vision).