Understanding Myopia Control Options

If you have been diagnosed with myopia, you are far from alone. Myopia is the single most common refractive eye condition in the world and the number of people with it is predicted to continue to grow for the foreseeable future. It is known as a refractive condition because it occurs when there is a problem with the way that light is refracted by the eyes.


To view the world around you optimally, the light will enter the eyes and be refracted through the lens so that it directly hits the retina at the back of the eye. The retina then sends a message to your brain which produces a clear image. However, when light isn’t refracted correctly, it isn’t focused properly on the retina. In people with myopia, the light falls in front of the retina instead, and this causes nearby objects to appear clear, but ones further away to seem increasingly blurred.

Myopia doesn’t cause total vision loss, but it can mean that you have to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses to correct your eyesight. It’s also progressive and will get worse without treatment. Experts have found that the sooner you start treatment to control myopia, the more likely you’ll be to be able to prevent complications with your vision that occur in cases of high myopia in the future. These include glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment.

Fortunately, there are treatments that are proven to help slow the progression of myopia. Many of these can be started during childhood, which is when myopia is most likely to first start developing. Here’s what you need to know about myopia control options.

Prescription Eyedrops

In most instances, patients who want to start myopia control treatment will begin by being offered prescription eyedrops. The medication in these is atropine, which works by dilating the pupils. This temporarily paralyzes the muscles inside the eye that are used to bring an image into clear focus. By paralyzing these muscles, it reduces the stress placed on them and this can help to slow myopia development. Experts have also suggested that atropine may bind to specific growth receptors found in the eye. This could halt the stimulation that causes the eyeball to grow too long when compared to the focusing power of the lens – a key characteristic of myopia in children.

Myopia Control Glasses and Contact Lenses

Another viable treatment option is myopia control glasses or contact lenses. These have special multifocal lenses that correct nearsightedness so that distance vision is clear, while the outer portion of the lens adds focusing power to bring the peripheral light into focus in front of the retina. You can choose to have these lenses incorporated into a glasses frame of your choice, or you can select multifocal contact lenses.

Orthokeratology

Sometimes called ortho-K, orthokeratology is another effective method for controlling myopia. In addition to slowing the progression of the refractive eye condition, ortho-k provides the additional benefit of enabling those who have it to see clearly for a number of hours without using either glasses or contacts.

Ortho-K uses bespoke, rigid gas permeable contact lenses which are perfectly safe to be worn overnight. While you sleep, they work by applying gentle force against the front surface of the eye to alter its natural shape so that light to be refracted correctly.

The next morning, patients can remove their Ortho-K lenses and place them into the cleaning solution so that they can be sterilized before being used again that night. The more consistently you wear your lenses, the longer your eyes will be able to retain their new and improved shape. With regular use, patients can find that they can see clearly without glasses and contact lenses for an entire day at a time.

If you are concerned about myopia and would like to talk to a professional about your options for myopia control, visit Electric City Eye Care in Anderson, SC. Call (864) 224-2088 to schedule an appointment today.