Myopia Control

Myopia (nearsightedness) is the most common refractive error of the eye, causing the affected to have trouble seeing distant objects. In this case the eyeball is too long and light focuses in front of the retina (back surface of the eye) instead of directly on it.

The exact cause of nearsightedness is not known, but the biggest predictor of whether a child will become nearsighted is genetics. However, family history by no means tells the whole story.

In the 1970s about 25% of the US population was nearsighted. As of 2004, it was upwards of 42%. In such a short period of time, what has changed? How we use our eyes, for starters. There has been some association with progression of nearsightedness and the amount of time spent indoors doing near tasks such as computer work and reading.

Myopia has long been treated with glasses, contact lenses and more recently, refractive surgery. Aside from dependence on correction or needing surgery, what’s the big deal?

Myopia typically begins in childhood and progresses as the child grows, quite often stabilizing when a person is fully grown. Cases where the vision continues to decline are becoming more common. The is called progressive, or degenerative myopia. The more myopic the eye becomes, the higher their risk of sight- threatening problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachments.

What can be done about this?

Eyediology Vision Care is the premier practice in Las Vegas for Myopia Control. Our doctors offer free consultations to review each patient's individual needs and goals for myopia control. Together with the patients and their families our providers will tailor a customized plan to reduce the risks of complications later in life due to excessive nearsightedness.Research has shown that there are several interventions that can slow down myopia progression in children.

Multifocal contact lens fittings under the guidance of an optometrist have been shown to be an excellent method to slow myopic progression by an average of 59%. Our practitioners are certified to utilize MiSight® 1 day contact lenses. They are the first and only FDA-approved* soft contact lens to slow the progression of myopia in children aged 8 -12 at the initiation of treatment. With over 90% satisfaction ratings from parents and children, this is a fantastic option for young patients already wearing contact lenses and those who are very active with a desire to be more free from full-time eyeglass wear.

Another common treatment option in our Myopia Control Program is low concentration Atropine eye drops. The drops are instilled at night time and the patient is able to wear their habitual type of correction (glasses or contacts) throughout the day. This intervention has been proven to be most effective with a slowing effect of 60%. Patients tend to like this method because of how low maintenance the therapy is. The patient is monitored at regular intervals to look for any potential rare side effects such as light sensitivity or trouble focusing at near. This is a great option for patients who are not yet ready to wear contact lenses or those with prescriptions who are out of range for multifocal soft lenses.

“I have been treating some of my young patients who are at the highest risk for progressive myopia over the past several years.” said Dr. Burke. “I have been so pleased with the results, some of them have stopped progressing all together, most have slowed down very significantly and have not reported any adverse side effects.”

Orthokeratology is a treatment that shows about 40% reduction in myopic progression. In this treatment modality, a patient is fit in a custom hard contact lens that mold the front surface of the eye to flatten it. The contact lens is worn overnight and the patient is able to go without correction in some cases throughout the day due to the sustained effects. The downside to the this treatment is that it does wear off over time and the lenses can be more costly. This may not be a great option for those patients who are driving at night.

Eventually there will be speciality spectacle lenses available that slow myopic progression in children. These lenses are widely used throughout the world, but are unavailble in the United States at this time. You can count on Eyediology Vision Care to be among the earliest of adopters of this technology as soon as it becomes available.