Myopia Management

Slow the progression of your child’s nearsightedness.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common condition that results in blurred vision at a distance. It typically starts to develop in childhood and often progresses until about age 20.

Childhood myopia usually results from the elongation of the eye itself.

Slowing the progression is important because it may reduce the risk of developing serious eye conditions later in life such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and blindness.

There are several treatment options to slow the progression of myopia. Schedule an exam at Palos Verdes Family Vision Optometry to learn more.

Myopia is on the rise

Nearsightedness is a growing concern worldwide. The incidence is predicted to double by 2050 unless interventions are taken.

Many researchers believe the rise in myopia incidence can be attributed to an increase in near work demand and less time spent outdoors.

How do you “manage” myopia?

Determining a myopia management plan for your child starts with a visit to your eye doctor. Schedule your appointment now.

In addition to a refraction and eye health evaluation, our doctors will take specialized measurements such as Axial length and Topography to evaluate and track changes in the eye related to myopia.

There are a few main approaches to slowing myopia progression in children, including:

Modifying behaviors

Increase working distance to more than 30 centimeters (12 inches).

Increase time spent outdoors to at least 2 hours per day.

Take more breaks from doing near work.

Multifocal contacts lenses

Multifocal contact lenses are special contacts that have different powers in different zones of the lens.

Researchers and eye doctors have found that multifocal soft contact lenses are also effective tools for myopia control in children. Some research demonstrates that using soft multifocal lenses in children caused a 25-50% reduction in progression over 2 years.

Our office utilizes MiSight contact lenses for this modality. It is FDA-approved specifically for myopia management.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)

Ortho-k — also known as Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) or “corneal reshaping lenses” — is a non-surgical approach that helps to reshape the curvature of your child’s cornea using specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses.

Ortho-K contact lenses are only worn during sleep at night and are used to temporarily correct mild to moderate myopia.

Evidence suggests that nearsighted children who undergo several years of orthokeratology may end up with less myopia as adults.

Our office utilizes Paragon CRT lenses for this modality.

Atropine eye drops

Topical atropine is a medicine used to dilate the pupil and temporarily relax the eye’s focusing mechanism and has been used in myopia control for years.

Several studies show that low-dose atropine helps to reduce the progression of myopia in children, especially when combined with Ortho-K lenses.

If you’d like to learn more about myopia management, request an appointment at Palos Verdes Family Vision Optometry today.