Myopia Control Treatments

Myopia control refers to some treatment options designed to slow down the progression of myopia in children and teens. So what kind of myopia control options are there? Some myopia treatment options include:

• Atropine eye drops – Atropine eye drops are used to widen your pupils. The widening effect is similar to the dilation drops your optometrist will use during a comprehensive eye exam, except that its effects are longer lasting. Atropine eye drops are used to slow down myopia by disabling the eye’s focusing mechanism, which helps alleviate focusing fatigue. The drawbacks of Atropine eye drops stem from prolonged pupil dilation, which includes light sensitivity, blurred near vision, and the need for bifocals, since focusing ability is altered.
• Orthokeratology (ortho-k) – Orthokeratology, otherwise known as ortho-k, are gas permeable contact lenses that are designed to reshape your eye, which temporarily reverses the elongating effects of myopia. Ortho-k lenses are worn at night, so prescription glasses and contact lenses are not needed during the day. The effect lasts for only a day, the eye will eventually return to its normal elongated state after the ortho-k lens is removed. Children and teens can experience permanent benefits from ortho-k. The ortho-k lenses slow the progression of myopia during the eye’s growth cycle, making the effect longer-lasting in children and teens.
• Multifocal contact lenses – Multifocal contact lenses are contacts designed with different power zones to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia. The center of the lens corrects blurry distance vision while the outer edges of the lens defocus the child’s peripheral vision. Studies have found that defocusing peripheral vision in children and teens slowed down the progression of myopia.