Myopia management for children
What is Myopia?
Myopia is a common eye condition that is thought to affect around a third of people in the UK. It is also known as ‘short-sightedness’ or ‘near sightedness’. Myopia usually starts in childhood, between the ages of 6 and 13, and symptoms include problems with being able to see things in the distance clearly.
The first step in slowing the onset of myopia is to catch it early; annual eye examinations can detect the early signs of myopia, even in very young children.
How do I prevent my child’s sight from getting worse?
If left untreated, myopia tends to get progressively worse throughout childhood and can lead to long-term vision problems in adulthood.
Luckily, there are now innovative solutions that we are able to offer our younger patients to help slow down the deterioration of sight in childhood.
Myopia management is a name given to treatments that can help to slow down the progression of myopia in children and teenagers.
Whilst results vary for each child, on average myopia management may result in a 40 – 60% slowing down of myopia progression. There may also be a lower risk of myopia-related sight loss in adulthood.*
These treatments include:
- Special lenses for glasses
- Daily contact lenses
- Night-time contact lenses
Treatments to improve a child’s eyesight
At Hassocks Eyecare, we are proud to offer the latest innovations in myopia management for our younger patients, including MiSight daily contact lenses, MiYOSMART prescriptive lenses for glasses and Ortho-K night-time contact lenses.
Mi-Sight daily contact lenses
Mi-Sight 1 day contact lenses from CooperVision are soft, daily disposable contact lenses for children. As well as correcting short-sightedness, the lenses have a special optical design to change the focus of light in the peripheral vision, which may help to slow down the progression of myopia.
Children can enjoy clear vision without wearing glasses, and slow down prescription changes throughout their childhood.
Contact us for more information about Mi-Sight 1 Day contact lenses.
MiYOSMART lenses for glasses
MiYOSMART lenses are designed for children with myopia who wear glasses on a daily basis. They use patented lens technology to change the focus in the peripheral vision, which helps to prevent the progression of myopia.
We recommend MiYOSMART lenses for younger children who might find wearing contact lenses difficult.
They are also a useful back-up for children using contact lenses for myopia management during the day.
Read more about MiYOSMART lenses for children.
Ortho-K night-time lenses
Ortho-K, also known as orthokeratology, is a gentle and effective way to correct vision and reduce the progress of myopia overnight.
The lenses are custom made and designed to very gently reshape the cornea (the soft part at the front of the eye) during sleep. Studies show that by changing the curvature of the cornea and refocusing light on the peripheral retina, the progression of short-sightedness in children can be dramatically slowed down and sometimes even stopped.
Managing myopia with Ortho-K contact lenses is proven to be safe and effective. This option offers children the freedom of a childhood without glasses or contact lenses, whilst at the same time preventing or slowing the progress of their myopia.
Ortho-K lenses are suitable for children of all ages, and especially those that struggle to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day.
Read more about Ortho-K and EyeDream contact lenses.
How do I decide which treatment is best for my child?
Your child’s age and the progression of their myopia (their prescription) will determine which myopia management option is most suitable for them. If you are considering myopia management for your child, our experienced opticians are happy to discuss the options with you.
Please call us on 01273 843946 or book an appointment.
*Source: College of Optometrists.