While we have several proven ways to manage myopia progression in kids who are already nearsighted, there is growing interest in preventing or delaying the onset of myopia. Several studies have suggested that spending more time outdoors during childhood lowers the risk of developing myopia (1, 2). Outdoor time has been shown to be protective …
Move over, orthokeratology, soft multifocal contact lenses, and low-dose atropine! We have some new players entering the myopia management game. Below is an image of Hoya’s MiyoSmart lens. It is a “DIMS”, or Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments, spectacle lens. The DIMS lens has a clear central zone for distance viewing, surrounded by around 400 multiple …
Multifocal contact lenses are specially-designed contact lenses that have multiple powers within them. They are sort of like bifocals, but not quite the same. Many adults wear these lenses to correct their distance vision while also getting some plus power to help them see up close. But kids can also benefit from wearing multifocal contact …
Did you know there are eye drops out there that can slow the progression of nearsightedness in children? A handful of medications have been studied, but we will focus on the one most commonly used: atropine. What is atropine? Atropine is a drug that can be administered topically, or by injection into veins (IV) or …
An eye drop to slow nearsightedness? A look at atropine. Read More »
This blog post is a more detailed discussion of the main studies that are summarized in the post entitled An eye drop to slow nearsightedness. ATOM 1 The ATOM study published results in 2006. The ATOM researchers studied the effect of atropine 1% on myopic Asian children. In the two years of treatment, the untreated …
What is orthokeratology? Orthokeratology, or ortho-K, is a non-surgical procedure using specially designed retainer lenses to gently and safely reshape the curvature of the front of the eye to improve vision. These retainer lenses are worn overnight, temporarily molding the cornea to create less dependence on glasses or contact lenses throughout the day. The vision …
What is myopia? Myopia is the fancy name for near-sightedness. Myopia causes vision to be blurry in the distance. It is the result of light rays focusing in front of the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye (the retina) rather than on the retina. This can happen when the power of the front of the eye …