Myopia, or nearsightedness, causes blurred distance vision usually beginning in childhood and increasing dramatically, with estimates of half the world predicted to have myopia by 2050. We know that more near work and time indoors contributes to the lengthening of the eyeball that causes myopia. This lengthening of the eye not only blurs the vision, but stretches the tissue at the back of the eye and can cause eye health and permanent vision issues as patients get older.
Thankfully we now have very effective treatments to slow myopia in children. Prevention of course is best so limiting sedentary recreational screen time and increasing time outdoors in natural sunlight have been found to delay myopia. No screen time at all is recommended for babies 0-2 years of age, preferably less than 1 hour a day of screen time for 2 year olds and no more than 1 hour per day for 3-4 year olds. Children and teens are recommended to have no more than 2 hours of leisure screen time outside of school work. When myopia does develop, we now have good scientifically proven options for slowing it down.
Myopia Control Spectacle Lenses
Myopia control spectacle lenses (glasses) use a peripheral defocus design to send a signal to the retinal cells to slow the growth of the eyeball. STELLEST and MiYOSMART are the two lenses with the most supporting data on effectiveness and the only two that we presently use at Pierce Family Vision. They look just like regular spectacle lenses unless you examine them closely and they work best when worn for at least 12 hours per day. Traditional spectacle lenses do not provide any myopia control, nor does removing glasses for near work.
Daily Disposable Soft Contact Lenses
Daily disposable soft contact lenses like MiSight and Acuvue Abiliti 1-Day also use peripheral defocus to slow myopia progression in children as young as age 7. These contact lenses allow children to be glasses free during the day as well as having the benefit of controlling myopia. This is a popular option for teens and children involved in sports.
Ortho-K Lenses
Ortho-K lenses such as Acuvue Abiliti overnight lenses are custom made rigid night-time contact lenses worn during sleeping hours. They provide clear lens-free vision during the day through gentle reshaping of the cornea as well as the same peripheral defocus which slows the myopia progression. Ortho-K is the most expensive option, due to the time and customization involved but is another effective method of myopia control and can be used with children and teens. Dr. Singh is now glasses free with Ortho-K so even adults can benefit!
Atropine Eye Drops
Atropine eye drops contain a medication we sometimes use to dilate pupils in eye exams. In very low doses, it can be an effective myopia control method with minimal side effects. Recent studies now point to atropine being best used in combination with one of the above methods for enhanced control rather than as a stand alone treatment.Future methods such as repeated low-level red light (RLRL) do not yet have enough scientific data for our optometrists to recommend them but show promise for the future.
Pierce Family Vision is Here to Help
Our optometrists at Pierce Family Vision are happy to discuss options for myopia control with parents and we offer Myah axial length measurements with take-home growth charts at all our yearly children’s exams. Myopia control is now the standard of care for myopic children, and has been adopted as such by the World Council of Optometry and the Canadian Association of Optometrists.
Give us a call to book your child’s yearly eye examination or a myopia management consultation. Regular eye exams are recommended for adults too- are you due?
We hope that the parents of our pediatric patients already doing myopia management at Pierce Family Vision have been as pleased with the results of slowing down myopia as we have been. We are trying to get the word out to other parents in Waterloo Region about the effectiveness of myopia control, so it would be very helpful if a few of you could leave a Google review for Pierce Family Vision. Thank you so much for the support of all our wonderful patients!
