Myopia Control
Although Myopia (shortsightedness) is very common, the pace of increase in Myopia, especially in children and young adults is concerning. Until recently, the options for slowing its progression were limited however, there are now a number of interventions available that can slow its progression.
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Our mission is to ensure parents are fully aware of all the myopia interventions available for their child.
How can intervention help?
Intervention can help to slow down the progression, or worsening, of childhood myopia. These include special types of spectacle lenses, soft contact lenses and OrthoK. Myopia control has short-term benefits of better vision between eye exams and long-term benefits of protecting eye health. Considering your child or teenager's time spent outdoors and screen time are also important factors in managing myopia.
What is Myopia?
Myopia, often called short-sightedness, is a condition that results in blurry long-distance vision. Someone with myopia can see clearly up close, such as when reading a book or looking at a phone, while distance may appear blurry or hard to see. Higher levels of myopia are associated with a higher risk of eye disease in adulthood, so early intervention is very important.
Myopia control interventions available for your child . . .
EyeDream Orthok
Orthokeratology (OrthoK) lenses are worn during sleep and gently reshape the cornea to correct your prescription. This provides the added benefit of being able to see clearly without the need for glasses or contact lenses during the day. Evidence suggests that children who wear OrthoK lenses for several years can curb the progression of Myopia by between 40 - 60%.
Trying contact lenses
For slightly older children and young adults, contact lenses can be an ideal option, especially for sport or other activities that make glasses impractical. We supply both daily disposable and monthly Myopia control contact lenses. All our contact lenses include our unique membership too.
Myopia control funding . . .
NHS funding
The NHS may provide some funding towards glasses generally, if your child is under 16 or aged 16,17 or 18 and still in full time education. They will not however provide additional funding specifically for Myopia control, so the above interventions are offered on a private only basis, less any NHS support that your child may be entitled to.
More information . . .
If your Optometrist is concerned about an increase in your child's Myopia, you will be able to discuss the various interventions that might prove beneficial, during the eye examination.
How do I proceed with Myopia intervention for my child?
An up-to-date prescription is the first step and for continuity, we would prefer they attended an Eye Examination at one of our practices, prior to considering Myopia intervention.
MiyoSmart glasses can normally be ordered immediately after the appointment with one of our accredited Dispensing Opticians. For Myopia intervention contact lenses a second initial privately funded fitting appointment is required with either your Optometrist or a contact lens specialist. For OrthoK a second appointment for initial corneal topography will then be followed by a third fitting appointment. All our Myopia intervention options require regular follow-up visits.
Which option is better for my child?
For younger children the best option is often just regular monitoring of their prescription, although MiyoSmart glasses can be tried. These can help with an initial rise in shortsightedness and are easy to get used to. For slightly older children, MiSight daily or Milo monthly contact lenses are both convenient ways to help slow the progression of Myopia. For some, a combination of Myopia interventions offer the best solution, as it reduces the risk of over wearing contact lenses and provides continuity when the contact lenses are removed. OrthoK, although very effective, can initially be quite challenging to get used to and is best suited to older children and young adults.
Further reading . . .
For parents wanting to know more about Myopia and the available interventions, we strongly recommend you take a look at the My Kids Vision website. There's lot of extra information that will prepare you for your child's visit to us.