Myopia Control
When people where glasses or say they have problems with their vision, most of us would think it's a matter of levels of seeing clearly or how well we see with distance. We would then remind ourselves that there are other types of eye problems or conditions so rare or so disruptive, or more common than we remember. But we don't think about the depth of our common knowledge of what we simply think of "near sight" or "far sight," and that's where we can stand to be a little more aware of what we don't know.
What is Myopia?
Myopia, or what we've come to know as nearsightedness, is an eye condition where you see objects perfectly clear when up close or near, but when at a distance things become blurry and unclear. It's ultimately caused by the eyeball growing too quickly as a child, or continuing in growth as an adult when that should be finished. In a normal eye, when the cornea and lens are curved correctly and within the right distance of the retina at the back of eye, they can properly reflect incoming light to focus just right to the retina. But when the eye grows too much, the lens or cornea can curve differently or the distance grows between the retina and the cornea and lens, only allowing the incoming light to hit right in front of the retina.
This condition can cause:
Blurry vision when looking in the distance, often causing difficulty at night when there's little light, or driving when focusing on the road.
Headings from the straining you put on your eyes trying to focus on blurry/distant objects.
Squinting from overly focusing, excessive blinking, reading and watching too close to the screen or page.
Myopia Control For Kids
None of this is to say that once your child has Myopia, there's not treatment, no turning back. There are actually many ways to control or observe children's Myopia, which we offer here at NVISION Eyecare:
- Orthokeratology, a non-surgical procedure to reshape the cornea to strengthen the focus of incoming light to the retina
- MiyoSmart® glasses
- Low Dose Atropine Drops
- MiSight® 1 Day Daily Disposable Contact Lens
- ACUVUE® Abiliti™ Overnight
Regular Visits Are Important
The most important thing to remember for Myopia is that it develops in adolescence and often runs in the family, so when looking at your family history and making yearly doctor's appointments for the kids, you may want to get them scheduled to see an optometrist. Children need regular yearly check-ups with their optometrist to establish if they are progressing rapidly or to see if there is a need to start one of the myopia control strategies described above. Research shows that neglected care for children's Myopia can lead to terrible effects in their adult life in social/behavioral, academic, financial, and other crucial elements of maturing and succeeding as an adult. It can also make the risk for eye disease as an adult even greater.
This is why it's also important that you are getting your yearly check-up with an optometrist even as an adult, as there are other factors that can heighten the possibility of Myopia, such as reading too close, staring at screens all day without any breaks, and even not spending at least two hours a day outdoors.
Everyone deserves a good quality of life, and this can deteriorate when allowing concerns to go unnoticed for not only yourself but your child, as that neglect can stunt their chances for a good quality of life.
Children's Eye Exam
MiyoSmart, the Smart Choice to Curb Myopia
A new spectacle lens, called MiyoSmart, has been developed with incredible Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (D.I.M.S.) technology. This technology is intended to slow the progression of Myopia and axial growth in both adults and children by utilizing the central optical zone to refocus and counter refractive errors through the lens. There is also an eye shield component that is not only great for UV protection, but it is durable for the activities kids get involved in, so they can balance being active and caring for their eyes at the same time. MiyoSmart is due to be released soon in 2020, and with such an innovative technology hot on the market, only a few practices are able to offer it. Fortunately, if you are looking to try it out and live in the Albany Auckland are, NVISION Eyecare is one of those practices that will be supplying MiyoSmart
Experience Clear Vision and Myopia Control with Essilor® Stellest™ Lenses
Introducing Essilor® Stellest™ Lenses – the perfect solution for clear vision and myopia control. With a unique combination of progressive lens design, patented optical technology, and blue-light filtering lenses, these incredibly advanced lenses provide everything you need for crystal clear vision throughout your day.
NVISION Eyecare For All-Around Myopia Care
All the facts listed above probably have you second-guessing your eye health and usual care routines, and you might be thinking to make a family appointment and make sure there is help, answers, and solutions to take care of any Myopia in the family. At NVISION Eyecare® we have advanced technology that allows us to take an axial length measurement, which specifically measures the length of the eye, and is a good way to watch for myopia and myopia progression. This is the most accurate way to monitor myopia progression as the eye physically gets longer as it becomes more myopic. We also provide any of the strategies for Myopia control for children listed above, and we have knowledgeable specialized optometrists ready to help anyone in the family at any age with various stages or forms of Myopia. If you're thinking of getting the family to a trustworthy optometrist, contact us here to make an appointment or get more information.
Resources
“The Dry Eye Experts.” Optometrist in Albany, North Shore Auckland | NVISION Eyecare, www.nvision.nz/.
“Nearsightedness.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 19 May 2018, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nearsightedness/symptoms-causes/syc-20375556.
“Myopia Causes - Is Your Child at Risk?” All About Vision, 2019, www.allaboutvision.com/parents/myopia-causes.htm. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
EyeQue Corporation. “If Your Child Is Nearsighted, Don’t Wait to Get Glasses for Them! Here’s Why | Vision Test From Home | EyeQue.” Vision Test From Home | EyeQue, 2017, www.eyeque.com/knowledge-center/if-your-child-is-nearsighted-dont-wait-to-get-glasses-for-them-heres-why/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
“My Kids Vision.” Mykidsvision.Org, 2011, www.mykidsvision.org/en-us. Accessed 26 Nov. 2019.
“Myopia (Nearsightedness).” Aoa.Org, 2018, www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/eye-and-vision-problems/glossary-of-eye-and-vision-conditions/myopia.
“What Is Myopia (Nearsightedness)?” All About Vision, 2017, www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/myopia.htm.
“MyoSmart.” Hoya Vision,
