Myopia Management
Myopia is a condition where the eyeball is too long and images focus in front of the retina, rather than on it. This causes objects in the distance to appear blurry. Genetics and environmental factors, such as increased near work or decreased time outdoors, can contribute to this excess growth.
Myopia in children tends to worsen throughout childhood as eyes grow. Higher levels of myopia cause the tissues inside the eye to become stretched. This increases the risk of myopia-related eye issues in adulthood such as retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataract.
The incidence of myopia is significantly increasing. Research is ongoing on ways to prevent and slow the progression of myopia. No current method can permanently halt or reverse myopia. There are options that have been proven effective at slowing myopia. Depending on the child and treatment, these options slow the rate of myopia progression by 40% to 60%.
Specialty Glasses
These custom lenses use the principle of peripheral defocus. Peripheral defocus means the lens focuses peripheral light in front of the retina, rather than behind it, like in standard lenses. To do this small “lensets” are embedded into the periphery of the lens. The centre of the lens still focuses light directly on the retina to give clear vision. This helps slow eye elongation and therefore myopia. Frame sizing and lens centration are important to achieve the desired outcome. These lenses need to be worn full-time to optimize effectiveness.
Specialty Soft Contact Lenses
These custom contact lenses use the same principle of peripheral defocus in specialty glasses. The lenses must be worn at least 6 days/wk for 10 hours during the day.
We offer detailed one on one contact lens training sessions to ensure your child leaves feeling knowledgeable and comfortable with the new lenses.
Low Dose Atropine Eye Drops
Atropine eye drops used once daily at bedtime have also been shown to slow the progression of myopia. Low dose atropine at a compounded concentration of 0.01% to 0.05% has minimal side effects and is effective at slowing the progression of myopia.
Orthokeratology
Orthokeratology is a custom rigid contact lenses use the principle of reverse geometry. They are worn overnight and reshape the surface of the eye while sleeping so that no glasses or contacts are needed during the day.
Ortho-K has been used for many years as an alternative to wearing glasses or contacts during the day. The reshaping is not permanent and the lenses need to be worn every night.
We offer specialized contact lens fittings and trainings as well as comprehensive follow-ups for these specialty lenses.
