Myopia Control

Myopia, commonly called nearsightedness, describes the condition where you can see close objects clearly, but more distant objects are out of focus or blurred. It’s considered a refractive error that occurs when the eyeball is too long from front to back or the cornea is too curved.

At StylEyes, we offer multiple methods of myopia control.

In recent years, soft contact lenses have been developed for myopia control in children. Multifocal contact lenses have proven effective in slowing myopia progression. These lenses are worn during the day and have a bullseye shape, with outer and inner rings that use different corrective methods.

These lenses offer the benefit of being soft and comfortable and keep your little one free of frames that could potentially be damaged at play.

Gas-permeable contact lenses are used overnight to control myopia in children. Also called ortho-k (orthokeratology) or corneal reshaping contacts, the rigidity of these lenses gently reshapes the cornea during sleep. This means that, generally, no corrective lens needs to be worn during the day.

​​​​​​​A benefit of these lenses is that they’re long-lasting and only used at night. However, they may have an adjustment period that your child finds uncomfortable.

Atropine is a topical eye drop that has a mild freezing effect on the eye’s focusing mechanism. It’s used to dilate the pupils during eye exams, but low doses have been used for extended periods to slow myopia in children.

​​​​​​​Atropine drops are placed in the eye at night. Low doses of the medication have proven to have minimal side effects and seem to slow the eye’s growth slightly, minimizing the progression of myopia.

There is no cure for myopia, but its progression can be slowed. Early intervention is critical with myopia; not only does it offer your child a chance at clearer distance vision, but it can prevent the development of high myopia.

High myopia is a more severe form of myopia. If left unchecked, it leads to higher instances of cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachments.

​​​​​​​Since your child’s eyes are growing along with the rest of their body, the time is right to help curb the progress of their myopia using proven techniques. Come in for a children’s eye exam to discover what therapy may work best for your child.