Myopia Control
​What is Myopia?​​
Myopia is a technical term for nearsightedness. Someone with myopia can see things up close, but not far away. The reason myopia occurs is because the eye grows too long and too fast. This causes blurry vision, but it also can cause stretching to the tissue within the eye, which can lead to eye health complications.​
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What is Myopia Control?
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Many nearsighted children will have rapid progression of myopia, where they need stronger glasses each year, sometimes even every six months. In the past, there was no way to slow down or prevent the worsening of nearsightedness. New treatments can help to slow down this progression.
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​​​Why is Myopia Control Important?
Reducing the amount of nearsightedness in your child is important not only for their overall visual quality, but also their eye health. Patients with high myopia have eyes that are longer in diameter than an average eye. This means that the retina and other structures must be stretched to accommodate this growth. Patients with high myopia are more likely to have various ocular complications such as retinal detachments, early cataracts, and glaucoma. Reducing this growth can help protect their future sight.
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MiSight Contact Lenses
for Myopia Control
MiSight contact lenses are the first and only FDA approved contact lenses to slow the progression of myopia. These daily, soft contact lenses are specially designed for children, helping to ensure
optimal vision and eye health.
​​What are MiSight contact lenses and how do they control myopia?
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MiSight lenses are daily disposable contact lenses, designed for a single day of use. This type of contact lens is ideal for children and adolescents to reduce risk for infection or complications. MiSight contact lenses are different than traditional daily contact lenses - the center of the lens is reserved for clear vision, while the peripheral edges are slightly out of focus. This peripheral defocus prevents the further elongation of the eye, which halts or slows the increase in myopia. Because the center of the lens remains clear, the wearer will not be bothered by the peripheral blur.
In studies where they measured myopia progression in children wearing MiSight compared to those in normal lenses, the MiSight wearers were less likely to have lengthening of their eye and 41% saw no progression in myopia at all.
Atropine Drops for
Myopia Control
Daily eye drops that help control the progression of nearsightedness.
What is atropine and how does it control myopia? ​
Atropine eye drops are used to slow down the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children. These drops work by relaxing the eye’s focusing mechanism, which reduces the strain on the eye that can contribute to the elongation of the eyeball—a key factor in myopia progression.
Atropine eye drops are traditionally used to dilate the eyes, but in the case of myopia control, they are diluted to a concentration where they will not cause common side effects of dilation (blurry vision, light sensitivity, etc.). Studies show that atropine can reduce myopia progression by 50% over a 5 year period with minimal side effects (ATOM2 Trial).
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Orthokeratology
(Ortho-K) for
Myopia Control
A specialty contact lens worn overnight to reshape the cornea, providing clear vision without glasses or contacts during the day as well as slowed myopia progression.
What is Ortho-k and how does it control myopia? ​
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) is a non-surgical treatment that involves wearing specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea. This allows for clear vision during the day without the need for glasses or contact lenses. When wearing these lenses overnight, ortho-k reshapes the cornea into a specific pattern, which helps to slow down the elongation of the eye—a key factor in myopia progression.​​
Research has shown that Ortho-K is an effective and safe treatment, making it a great option for managing myopia.
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