Home - Specialist Eyecare - Myopia Control
Myopia Control for children in Plymouth
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.
Why should I be concerned about myopia?
Higher levels of myopia are associated with a higher risk of developing a serious eye condition in adulthood such as retinal detachment or glaucoma, so early intervention is very important.
What is myopia control?
Myopia control refers to a range of clinical interventions designed to slow down the progression of short-sightedness (myopia) in children and young adults. These approaches aim to manage how quickly myopia increases over time; they do not reverse or cure myopia.
What myopia control interventions are available?
EyeDream Orthok and myopia control
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 indicates that children who wear OrthoK lenses for several years could curb the progression of myopia by between 40 - 60%.
Myopia control 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.
Who is myopia control suitable for?
Your optometrist may offer a recommendation-led assessment for a myopia control clinical intervention, if your child or a young adult shows signs of progressive myopia. This will normally be during your child's routine eye test.
Myopia control funding . . .
Do the NHS fund myopia control?
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-funding support your child would normally be entitled to.
Do you offer myopia control payment options?
Yes we offer payment options because we appreciate the upfront costs of myopia control can be daunting for parents:
Myopia control glasses
Myopia control contact lenses
from £25 per month
from £42 per month
All monthly payment options include our membership.
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 a Children's 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.