MYOPIA CONTROL

All parents of young children & teens should read this.

Myopia or near-sightedness leads to blurred vision at the far distance and clear vision at near. It is caused by the increase in eyeball length from front to back.

There have always been myopic people, but the concern is that it has shown a noticeable increase in both occurrence and severity over the past two generations. In the 80’s approximately 25% of the world population was myopic. Currently it’s 30%, and the prediction is that by 2050, half the world will be myopic.[Sources: Global Prevalence of Myopia & High Myopia, Temporal Trends from 2000 through to 2050; Brien Holden et al.]

Myopia Control - Effective Treatments to Slow the Progression of Nearsightedness

Corneal topography maps showing before and after Ortho-K lenses were worn. The second pic was taken after two weeks of wear.

Several factors have contributed to this increase in eyeball length, including increased screen time from computers, smartphones, and other digital devices, less time spent outdoors, and genetic predispositions. This article aims to list all the ways that will neutralise or minimise these factors.

CAN ANYTHING BE DONE?

Yes, with both professional intervention and lifestyle changes, myopia in young children & teens can be managed to remain at low powers throughout their growing years.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Exposure to sunlight is one of the most effective ways to limit excessive lengthening of the eye.
• Taking short but regular breaks e.g. the 20/20 rule-for every 20 minutes of screen time, take a 20 second break. This can benefit people of all ages.
• Limiting exposure to screens before bedtime.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We have both spectacle & contact lenses that can effectively slow down myopia progression.

The spectacle lenses use peripheral honeycomb shaped areas of defocus on the periphery to slow down myopia.

Soft contact lenses have become available in the last three years, whileovernight Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) hard lenses have been available since 2003. Ortho-K gently reshapes the cornea while the patient sleeps to effectively shorten the eyeball by a few microns, and this corrects the myopic power. The effect only lasts for a day, so the lenses have to be worn every night, but this makes the procedure safer than Lasik as it is totally reversible.

BUT:

In order for these lenses to have maximum effect, the myopia must be detected in the beginning stages, so parents should have their children’s eyes examined annually, especially if one or both of the parents are myopic. [One study found that having one myopic parent increases the risk of myopia by 2.08 times, while having two myopic parents increases the risk by 5.07 times.]

ALSO:

Myopia management protocols must be executed at first sign of myopia, whether the child can see clearly or not.