What is myopia?
Myopia is the clinical term for nearsightedness. Nearsighted eyes see nearby objects clearly while objects far away are blurry without glasses. Myopia is a condition that occurs due to excess growth and stretching of the back of the eye. Just like feet get bigger when children grow, the myopic eye also grows at a quicker rate than normal eyes, resulting in the need for stronger and stronger glasses every year.
Conventional eyeglasses and contact lenses can correct the blurriness associated with myopia. However these methods do not treat myopia.
Why control myopia?
Myopia treatments have shown to reduce a person’s myopia by up to 60% which could reduce their need for wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Myopia is also associated with common vision-threatening conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, maculopathy and retinal detachments. The risk of developing these conditions depends on the severity of myopia; therefore, reducing a person’s myopia also decreases his or her chances of developing one of these vision threatening diseases.
What are some of the treatments for controlling myopia?
1. Low Dose Atropine Drops – can reduce myopia by up to 60%
2. Specialty Contacts Lenses – can reduce myopia by up to 50%
3. Specialty Spectacle Lenses – can reduce myopia by up to 60%
4. Encourage Outdoor Play Time – this is still being researched, but increased time outdoors in direct light may help prevent myopia in some way
Under-correcting the myopia (prescribing glasses less powerful than what is needed) and blue blocking lenses are actually proven to be detrimental to children’s natural eye growth and may actually worsen myopia.
To learn more, book a consultation with one of our certified Myopia Control Doctors.
SeeRite Eye Clinic is excited to practice with some of the newest technology in assessing eye growth and monitoring myopic changes in children and young adults whose myopia is still progressing. Our office is licensed to dispense both MiSightTM and MiyoSmartTM technology which are both Health Canada approved in the prevention and treatment of myopia.