What Options Do I Have to Control My Myopia?

Myopia is the most common refractive eye condition in the world, with the number of people it expected to continue to grow over the next decade. Also known as short-sightedness, it occurs when the eye can’t focus the light that enters it correctly, and this leads to nearby objects appearing clear, but those further away are blurred. 

Although myopia doesn’t sound serious, it is progressive and without treatment it will get worse. It can also lead to complications with your vision in the future, including some conditions that can permanently affect your eyesight. If you or your child are diagnosed with myopia, there are several different treatment options that you may be offered to help keep your myopia under control. These are:

Medicated eyedrops

One of the first treatments you may be offered is likely to be atropine eyedrops, which are proven to be highly effective at preventing the progression of myopia. 

Atropine eyedrops are applied at home and work by both dilating the pupils and temporarily paralyzing the muscles inside the eye that are used to focus. This puts the muscles under less stress, which is thought to help slow or halt myopia progression. Studies also show that atropine may bind to certain growth receptors found in the eye, obstructing the stimulation that enables the eye to grow too long when compared to the focusing power of the lens. 

Eyedrops can be effective at any age but are particularly valuable for use in children whose eyes are still growing and developing. 

Orthokeratology. 

Also known as Ortho-K, orthokeratology is another popular treatment for controlling myopia. However, unlike eyedrops it has the additional benefit of enabling patients to see clearly for a number of hours without using glasses or contact lenses.  

Ortho-K involves the creation of bespoke, rigid gas permeable contact lenses. These lenses are designed to be worn overnight when they work by exerting gentle pressure against the front surface of the eye to tame it into a more regular shape, enabling light to be refracted correctly. Although most contact lenses shouldn’t be worn overnight, Ortho-K lenses are designed to be gas permeable so that they are comfortable and safe to be worn while asleep.

When you wake up the next morning, you can just remove your Ortho-K lenses and place them into the cleaning solution. Not only do Ortho-K lenses slow the progression of myopia, but with regular use, patients also find that their eyes retain their new shape for some time the following day. The more consistently you wear your lenses, the longer your eyes will be able to retain their shape, meaning that you can eventually enjoy a whole day of being able to see clearly without glasses and contact lenses. 

Orthokeratology can be used by patients of all ages, from children as young as 7 or 8 years old to adults. 

Myopia control glasses

Myopia control glasses are most often recommended for children aged between 6 and 12. These innovative glasses are single vision lenses with a specific myopia management design that both corrects your child’s vision and will control their myopia to slow or halt its progression. Your eye doctor will be able to advise you if your child is a good candidate for myopia control glasses.

For more information about myopia control options, or to schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns about your vision, please contact our friendly and experienced eyecare specialists at In Focus Vision Center located in Piscataway, New Jersey. Please call us at 732-313-2570 today.