Myopia Control Treatment
Myopia control is the term used to describe specific treatments to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children.
Myopia control measures are usually prescribed by an eye doctor (an optometrist or an ophthalmologist).
The three primary categories of myopia control treatments provided within our clinic are namely: atropine eye drops, multifocal contact lenses, and multifocal eyeglasses
It is important to have early myopia control because it can help to minimize the risk of suffering vision-threatening complications associated with high myopia later in life.
Atropine Eye Drops
Atropine eye drops ease focusing fatigue by dilating the pupil, thus temporarily limiting the eye’s capacity for autofocus (also referred to as accommodation).
The effect of atropine on the eye’s accommodation is what accounts for its effectiveness in reducing the progression of myopia in children. Studies have found out that atropine is a very effective myopia control treatment, and can reduce myopia progression by up to 77%.
Multifocal Contacts
Multifocal contact lenses are specifically tailored to provide clear vision at various distances for people with refractive errors like nearsightedness, astigmatism, and farsightedness. Multi-focal contacts also help people undergoing presbyopia- the normal aging-related loss of near focusing ability.
Multifocal contacts also help to slow down the progression of myopia in children. Recently, some studies have shown that myopic children using multifocal contacts on a daily basis can reduce myopia progression by 50%. This is a comparison with similarly nearsighted children who use regular soft lenses regularly.
Multifocal Eyeglasses
Multifocal eyeglasses operate on the same principles as multifocal contacts to help people with presbyopia focus at all distances. They also help to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children.
In the majority of studies conducted to show the efficiency of multifocal eyeglasses in control of myopia in children, the glasses have mild positive results.