MYOPIA MANAGEMENT
At Atkinson Eye Care, we understand the challenges of childhood myopia and its potential impact on your child's vision and future. Is your child short-sighted, or is their myopia worsening? We are here to help! Our specialized myopia management solutions are designed to slow the progression of myopia, providing your child with clearer vision and a brighter tomorrow. Give your child the gift of better eyesight—schedule a consultation with us today!
Nearsightedness:
NOT JUST AN INCONVENIENCE
Although eyeglasses and standard contact lenses can correct a person’s vision, they do not treat the underlying cause of myopia or slow its progression. Myopia significantly increases the risk of developing sight-threatening eye diseases later in life, such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration. The higher your child’s myopia, the greater the risk. If you’re concerned about your child’s long-term eye health and vision, contact the Myopia Management Center at Atkinson Eye Care in Algonquin today.
What is
MYOPIA MANAGEMENT?
Myopia management is an area of eye care that uses custom treatments to prevent or slow your child's myopia progression. Depending upon your child's specific needs, our eye care team in Algonquin can help your child maintain clearer vision for longer. We slow the progression of nearsightedness by using the following treatment methods:
Atropine Therapy for Myopia Management
At Atkinson Eye Care, we offer Atropine Therapy as a safe and effective solution for managing myopia progression in children. Atropine eye drops are clinically proven to slow the advancement of nearsightedness, helping to protect your child's vision and reduce the risk of long-term eye health issues. This non-invasive treatment is easy to use and can be customized to meet your child's specific needs. When combined with regular monitoring and expert care, Atropine Therapy provides a powerful tool for safeguarding your child's vision. Contact us today to learn more about how Atropine Therapy can support your child's eye health and future.
Ortho-K, the Safe Way to Sleep in Contact Lenses
At Atkinson Eye Care, we offer Ortho-K—a safe and effective way to correct vision overnight. Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) uses specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses worn while you sleep to gently reshape the cornea, providing clear vision during the day without the need for glasses or daytime contacts. Ideal for children and adults, Ortho-K is a non-surgical, reversible option that also helps slow the progression of myopia in children. Wake up to clearer vision and enjoy the freedom from glasses—schedule a consultation today to see if Ortho-K is right for you or your child!
MiSight Contact Lenses For Myopia Management
At Atkinson Eye Care, we are proud to offer MiSight® 1 day contact lenses, a proven solution for managing myopia in children. Designed specifically for young, growing eyes, MiSight lenses not only correct nearsightedness but also slow its progression, helping to preserve long-term vision health. These soft, comfortable daily lenses are easy to use and ideal for active lifestyles, providing clear vision without the need for glasses. Give your child the advantage of healthier vision and a brighter future—schedule a consultation today to learn more about MiSight contact lenses for myopia management!
Symptoms of Myopia
- Your child struggles to see things clearly at a distance
- Difficulties seeing the board in class
- Your child squints to see far away objects
- They complain of headaches and eyestrain
- Difficulties with sports that involve small balls, such as baseball or tennis
Symptoms of Myopia
As your child’s myopia progresses and worsens, they heighten their risk of developing vision-threatening eye diseases later in life.
In fact, their odds of developing vision loss due to glaucoma, macular degeneration, or retinal disease increase by as much as 10x!
Myopia Treatment
The good news? Myopia management and regular eye exams with our optometry team can help your child regain clear vision, and
slow down or even stop their vision from worsening.
Myopia can significantly increase your risk of developing potentially sight-threatening eye conditions in the future. But how much does your risk grow, exactly? Research shows that the worse your myopia is, the higher your risk. For example, your risk of developing myopic maculopathy, an especially severe form of macular degeneration, is 2.2x higher if your prescription is -2.00, and jumps to 9.7x at -4.00, 40.6x higher at -6.00, and is a whopping 126.8x higher at a prescription of -8.00. This is why it’s so essential to stop myopia progression in its tracks with myopia management.
WHAT FACTORS INCREASE RISK OF MYOPIA?
According to our eye care team, the following factors may increase the risk of nearsightedness:
Genetic Factors
Myopic parents (one or both) increases the child's risk of nearsightedness.
Age
Developing myopia before age 12 significantly increases the risk of severe myopia.
Daily Habits
Spending too much time on digital screens and reading books can strain the eyes, increasing risk of nearsightedness.
1.
WHEN DOES MYOPIA (NEARSIGHTEDNESS) USUALLY BEGIN?
Myopia tends to begin in school-aged children, and usually continues to progress until a person reaches roughly the age of 20. The longer it progresses, and the worse it gets, the higher your child's risk of potentially sight- threatening eye conditions later in life.
2.
IS THERE AN IDEAL AGE FOR MYOPIA MANAGEMENT?
It is recommended to start myopia management as soon as possible, with best results found in children who started before the age of 9. However, myopia control can help children and teens of all ages.
3.
WHY IS MYOPIA MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?
As the myopic eye elongates, it stretches the retina, the light- sensitive layer lining the back of the eye. Excessive stretching makes the eye more prone to tears, inflammation, the formation of new, weak blood vessels and scarring. This raises the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and myopic maculopathy. Safeguard your child's vision with myopia management.