My Oh Myopia

Have you been told your child is nearsighted?

Myopia is the technical term for nearsightedness, an eye condition that affects nearly 2 out of 5 Americans. When a person experiences a worsening of their nearsightedness, this is known as progressive myopia. With the rapid increase in myopic development, myopia is now being recognized as a national epidemic. And with significant health consequences; such as an enhanced risk for ocular diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration , retinal tears and/or detachments, and an earlier onset of cataracts it is now more important than ever to not only have the tools to treat myopia, but to attempt to slow its progression.

Time is of the essence with our children who are nearsighted, and the sooner we intervene, the greater chance we have of slowing it down. We offer a variety of therapeutic myopia management techniques to help ensure the long-term visual health of our patients.

These include:

Orthokeratology (Ortho-k)

Noninvasive, reversible, and safe, Ortho-k has been clinically proven to reduce the rate of myopic progression by 40 to 50% in children. This treatment utilizes precise mapping technology to design custom Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses for each patient. These specially molded Ortho-K lenses are worn at night during sleep.In addition to the slowing of myopia, Ortho-K also has the added benefit of having clear vision all day WITHOUT the need for glasses or contact lenses.

MiSightSoft Lens Myopia Management

Our office is proudly one of the first in the area to be certified fitters of the first and only FDA approved soft contact lens for the treatment of myopia in children ages 8-12. MiSight is a daily disposable lens that contains alternating correction and treatment zones. The lenses are comfortable, easy to handle, and provide clear vision during wear.

Atropine Drops

Atropine has a long history of research and use and is one of the most effective forms of myopia management. This treatment modality utilizes low doses of the prescription eye drop Atropine. Atropine drops are an especially great option for patients who cannot tolerate contact lenses or are not candidates for the other methods. Atropine can also sometimes be utilized in conjunction with the other forms of myopia management.

Who Is a Candidate?

A lot of individual scan benefit from the advantages of myopia management including:

• Children and adolescents who show signs of progressive myopia
• Children who have significant risk factors or genetic background for developing myopia
• For ortho-k the ideal starting prescription range should be within +2.00 to -6.00 with no more than -1.75 diopters of surface astigmatism.
• There is technically no age limit - although - for the purposes of slowing myopic progression, ideally the child would start between the age of 8 to 12.

For more information regarding treatment time, fitting process, and follow up visits, or to schedule a patient for a consultation, call our office at 405-341-2062.