What is myopia?
Myopia is the technical term for the vision condition of near-sightedness. Patients with myopia have blurry distance vision and require corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses) to provide adequate clarity of vision to complete daily activities.
What is myopia progression?
Myopia progression refers to the worsening of nearsightedness that commonly occurs in nearsighted children between the ages of 6-18. Myopia progression requires increasingly stronger powers of correction to provide adequate vision and also puts patients at increased risk for eye diseases, like retinal detachments and glaucoma.
What is myopia management?
Sometimes referred to as myopia control, myopia management involves intervening with special methods of vision correction to slow down the rate of myopia progression as a child ages. The goal of myopia management is to limit the degree of nearsighted correction as a child ages. Myopia management is not expected to completely stop any progression or reverse any existing nearsightedness.
How does myopia management work?
Current research shows effective slowing of myopia progression with three main methods of management
- Low dose atropine
- This involves instillation of a daily medicated eye drop in each eye. While multiple studies support the use of this medication for this purpose, myopia progression is an off label use of atropine.
- Glasses or contact lenses will still be required for appropriate nearsighted correction
- Daily wear multifocal soft contact lenses
- This involves wearing multifocal soft contact lenses during the daytime only as the method of nearsighted correction. The FDA has approved the use of these lenses for the purpose of myopia control.
- Overnight orthokeratology contact lenses
- This involves wearing specially designed orthokeratology contact lenses while sleeping overnight as the method of nearsighted correction. Successfully fit orthokeratology lenses are removed upon awakening and provide clear uncorrected vision throughout the day.
- While multiple studies support the use of these lenses for this purpose, myopia progression is an off label use of orthokeratology lenses.
- This involves wearing specially designed orthokeratology contact lenses while sleeping overnight as the method of nearsighted correction. Successfully fit orthokeratology lenses are removed upon awakening and provide clear uncorrected vision throughout the day.
Which myopia management method is right for me?
In order to determine if you are a candidate for myopia progression management, specialized and detailed measurements of the eye and focusing system are required. These measurements require advanced techniques and instrumentation that are not included in a traditional eye exam. We are happy to schedule your myopia management consultation to provide this special testing and consultation on your management options.
What does myopia management entail?
Following initial management for myopia progression, additional follow-up care is required to determine the response to the treatment. There will typically be 3 follow-up visits after commencing an initial management strategy.
To schedule an appointment, call 614-292-2020, option 1, then option 2. You also may request an appointment online through our request an appointment page.