Difficulty seeing things far away? Then you might be one of the millions of Americans whose vision is effected by myopia, also known as nearsightedness. Myopia is a chronic, progressive disease in which the eye grows too long. Nearsighted eyes can see objects up close clearly, while objects further away are blurry without glasses. Generally, the longer the eye, the worse the person’s vision. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology 50% of people have myopia and the number is rising among school aged children. Recent studies suggest that the increase of near vision tasks, such as reading and screen time, may play a role in this increase in addition to genetics. The higher the myopia prescription, the higher the risk for developing myopia-related conditions such as:
-Macular Degeneration
-Retinal Detachment
-Early Cataract Development
-Glaucoma
There may be something you can do to decrease your child’s myopia long term. Northwest Vision Institute offers a range of myopia management treatment plans for children as young as 6 years old. Meet with one of our optometrists today to learn more about which options might be best for your family.
Abiliti™ Overnight
Lenses
ACUVUE® Abiliti™ Overnight
lenses are hard contact lenses worn overnight and removed in the morning. They temporarily
reshape the cornea, allowing clear vision during the day without correction. Acuvue Abiliti Overnight lenses are FDA approved orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses for myopia management, specifically designed to fit each child’s unique corneal shape.
MiSight® Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses are routinely worn for the daytime correction of vision. The MiSight®
dual-zone soft contact lens is designed to work in two ways: one zone to correct vision and the other zone to signal the eye to slow eye growth. MiSight 1 day is the only FDA approved soft contact lens to slow the progression of myopia in children age 8-12 at the initiation of treatment.
Atropine Eyedrop
Therapy
Atropine drops used at low concentrations (Atropine 0.05%) has been shown to slow myopia progression without increasing pupil size or decreasing near vision. Although the FDA has approved the use of Atropine 1% for the treatment of amblyopia/strabismus (lazy
eye) in children, the use of Atropine 0.05% for myopia management is considered off-label.