Myopia (Nearsightedness) Control

Myopia, or the inability to see things at a distance, is rapidly becoming more common in children. There is no proven cause; however, studies are showing children who spend more time indoors playing on computers and tablets or extensive reading have higher rates of myopia than children who spend more time outdoors. Eye doctors are trying to find ways to slow the rate of progression to minimize the risk of sight threatening problems such as retinal detachments later in life.  
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There are multiple ways to help slow the rate of myopia progression, including:

Low dose atropine eye drops can be used in children from 5 to 18 years old. These drops are put in once before bed, and are great for patients who are unable to wear contact lenses.

Peripheral defocus contact lenses are a special type of multifocal contact lens that can be used for children age 6-18. MiSight daily disposable soft contacts are the only FDA approved treatment for myopia control.

Ortho-K (orthokeratology) contact lenses are a type of hard or rigid gas permeable lens that your child wears at bedtime to reshape the cornea. These must be worn every night as the cornea will revert back to its original shape when you stop wearing the lenses

Glasses for myopia control are not available at this time; however, there are some promising products in development, and we are excited to see what becomes available in the near future.
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Call to schedule your child an exam to see if myopia control can help