Preserving Your Child’s Vision
Myopia, the medical term for nearsightedness, occurs when your eyes focus near objects clearly, but distant objects appear blurry. Myopia is common, affecting 42% of children between 5 and 19.
In children, myopia often results from the eye being too long. Children’s eyes are still growing, and in those with myopia, their eyes tend to grow longer than they should. This means your child may need stronger glasses every year, as their eye continues to grow.
Myopia management is a process that aims to slow the growth, preserving visual clarity. It’s most effective when started early, so it’s important to schedule annual eye exams for your child to monitor their eyes.
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Why Is Myopia Management Necessary?
Myopia management is not only about preserving your child’s vision to avoid a higher prescription in adulthood. Myopia also increases the risk of developing serious sight-threatening conditions, such as retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. The higher their level of myopia, the higher the risk.
By slowing myopia progression through myopia management methods, we can reduce their risk of developing these serious eye conditions. This helps preserve your child’s vision, eye health, and overall quality of life for the future.
How We Monitor and Detect Myopia
We use diagnostic technology to help us monitor your child’s eyes. We use a specific measurement called the axial length to track their eye growth. This measurement records the length of their eye from front to back.
In children with myopia, their axial length measurement is often longer than that in children without nearsightedness. In fact, some children may even show signs of myopia through these measurements before their vision is impacted, allowing us to intervene even earlier.
We use the Topcon MYAH instrument to measure their axial length with a simple scan and compare their data to the average growth curve for their age group.
For children using contact lenses as part of their treatment approach, we will also use the Oculus Keratograph to map the front of their eyes to fit these contact lenses. Both devices are noninvasive, and nothing touches your child’s eye during either scan.
Our Myopia Management Methods
Traditional glasses and contact lenses that correct nearsightedness provide clear vision, but they don’t slow myopia progression. These corrective lenses focus central vision directly on the retina, while peripheral vision is focused behind it.
Research suggests that focusing images behind the retina can trigger the eye to grow longer in an effort to reduce this error in focus, increasing myopia and axial length.
By opting for lenses that purposefully bring peripheral vision into focus in front of the retina, while maintaining clear central vision, we can signal to the eye that it can stop growing, helping to slow myopia progression.
There are several treatment options available. Your child’s treatment plan will vary depending on their age, preferences, and lifestyle needs (such as extracurricular activities). We will monitor the efficacy of the treatment through the process to inform our plan.
MiSight 1 day contact lenses by CooperVision are specifically designed to control myopia progression and are FDA-approved to slow myopia progression in children ages 8–12 at the start of treatment.
Our doctors were some of the first in the US to be certified to fit MiSight 1 day lenses. The clinical study of MiSight 1 day lenses showed a 59% reduction in myopia progression compared to standard single vision 1-day lenses.
Soft multifocal and bifocal contact lenses are typically used in adults over 40 with presbyopia (age-related farsightedness).
Multifocal contact lenses bend light in a way that is beneficial to the eye. Research suggests that multifocal contact lenses can slow myopia progression by approximately 50–87.5%.
Orthokeratology lenses, or ortho-k, are worn overnight and gently reshape the cornea (the clear front part of the eye) while you sleep. During the day, you can see clearly without glasses or contact lenses.
In children, studies on ortho-k lenses have shown, on average, a 50% reduction in myopia progression compared to standard single vision contact lenses or glasses. They make a great option for active kids and allow you to be home to supervise your child during the treatment, as they only wear the lenses at night.
Atropine eye drops are used to dilate the pupils. In low doses, around 0.01% concentration, atropine eye drops have been shown to reduce myopia progression without causing side effects, such as blurred near vision or increased light sensitivity, as found in higher concentrations.
Low-dose atropine eye drops are administered at night, before bed. They may be used in combination with another treatment.
Protect Your Child’s Eyes for the Future
Your child’s eyesight is precious. Protect it from the risks and complications of high myopia by monitoring their eyes through regularly scheduled eye exams and myopia management treatments, if necessary.
You can also support your child’s vision by prioritizing time outdoors and reducing screen time. Environmental factors and daily habits, such as little exposure to daylight and increased near work, including reading, writing, and using digital devices, can greatly increase the risk of developing myopia. While outdoor time cannot prevent myopia progression, it may help to delay its onset.
Take a proactive approach to your child’s vision, and monitor their eye health through regular eye exams. If your child has already been diagnosed with myopia, book an appointment to discuss our myopia management options.
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Where to Park
We’re located at 5001 Bissonnet Street, between South Rice and North 3rd Avenues.
Free parking is available in the lot below the building.
Our Address
- 5001 Bissonnet St #107
- Bellaire, TX 77401
Contact Information
- Phone: 713-664-8087
- Email: appointments@bfeye.com
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