Myopia Control to Help Slow the Progression of Nearsightedness
If you have a child who is nearsighted, you may be able to reduce the progression of worsening vision with myopia control. This is typically done under the guidance of an experienced eye doctor and consists of a few different treatment options. While myopia control isn’t a cure for nearsightedness, it can prevent your child from needing stronger eyewear and slow down the progression of nearsightedness.
Benefits of Myopia Control
Myopia control can help reduce the risk for eye problems associated with rapid deterioration of eyesight, including early cataracts later in life. It can also reduce your child’s risk of:
- Myopic maculopathy, which can cause serious and permanent eye damage, eventually leading to blindness.
- Glaucoma, in which high eye pressure damages the nerves connecting the eye to the brain, and can lead to impaired vision or blindness.
- Visual impairment, which can be severe vision loss, or enough to warrant a diagnosis of legal blindness.
Your eye doctor can talk more with you about controlling myopia to see if this is something your child could benefit from.
How Is It Done?
Myopia control can be achieved in a few ways. These include atropine eye drops, which help relax the eyes and prevent them from focusing, which can help relieve eye fatigue associated with nearsightedness.
Multifocal contact lenses can also be used. These use different corrective prescriptions in different parts of the actual lens on the contacts to correct nearsightedness and farsightedness. There’s also the option of multifocal glasses, which have the same purpose as multifocal contacts.
Another method used is orthokeratology, in which a special type of contact lens is worn at night to correct nearsightedness so that your child won’t need to wear glasses or contacts during the day.
Contact Us Today
Schedule an appointment with Excel Optometry to discuss myopia control for your child. Call us at (949) 429-3333, or you can get in touch using our online contact form!
