Myopia Control

What is Myopia?

Myopia, also called near-sightedness, occurs when the eye grows too long and causes distance vision to be blurred. Symptoms of myopia include blurred distance vision, squinting, eye strain, and headaches. Traditional treatment of myopia is glasses and contact lenses but these interventions do not slow the progression.

What risks does myopia present??

Generally once you become myopic, it tends to worsen over time. Higher levels of myopia are associated with high risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment and maculopathy later in life.

How can I help my myopic child?

• Outdoor time has been shown to reduce the onset of myopia but does nothing to slow the progression.
• Interventions including soft multifocal contact lenses and low dose atropine eye drops have been shown to reduce progression of myopia by about 50%.
• A specialized myopia control consult with one of our doctors is the first step to slowing the progression of your child’s myopia.

When should my child start treatment?

Now! A child becomes more near-sighted with time, so the sooner treatment begins the more myopia can be reduced.