By 2050. 50% of the world’s population is projected to be myopic.
Have Some General Myopia Questions? Maybe They are Here
What is myopia (shortsightedness)?
Myopia, also known as shortsightedness, is a common eye condition where the eye grows too long, causing distant objects to appear blurry. Beyond just needing glasses, this excessive growth is a progressive eye health concern.
I never heard of myopia management. Is it new and can my child be treated by any optometrist?
No, myopia management is not new; it is based on decades of clinical research. However, it has gained recent prominence due to the global “myopia epidemic”. While many optometrists provide standard vision correction, myopia management is a specialised field that requires specific expertise, advanced technology, and clinical training beyond routine eye care.
Why Our Myopia Management Is Different
- Specialised Focus: Traditional eye exams provide glasses to help a child see clearly today. Myopia management focuses on slowing the physical elongation of the eye to protect vision for the future.
- Clinical Expertise: Managing paediatric myopia involves analysing growth patterns and selecting specific treatments (like specialised lenses or eye drops) based on a child’s unique risk factors.
- Advanced Technology: Specialised tools, such as axial length measurement devices, are required to monitor the progression of the disease accurately — tools not found in most general practices.
At Eyes & Vision, our paediatric optometrists undergo special training specifically to treat myopia in children.
Can child myopia be reversed?
No, child myopia cannot be reversed because the physical elongation of the eye is a permanent structural change.
While vision can be corrected with glasses or surgery, once the eye has grown too long, it cannot be “shrunk” back to its original shape. However, specialised treatments can significantly slow or even halt further progress on to protect the child’s future eye health.
Why does shortsightedness occur?
Shortsightedness, or myopia, occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back or the cornea is too curved. This structure, irregularly causes light to focus in front of the retinal instead of directly on it, resulting in blurry distance vision. This growth is often triggered by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors like excess screen time or a lack of outdoor time.
Why is there no cure for myopia?
There is no cure for myopia because it is caused by a permanent change in the eye’s physical anatomy (axial length). Myopia treatments can manage the rate of growth or correct the refractive error, but there is currently no way to shorten an elongated eye to its normal state.
Is myopia a disease?
Yes, myopia is increasingly classified as a chronic, progressive disease rather than just a refractive error. It induces a harmful deviation from the eye’s normal structural state and, if left unmanaged, significantly increases the lifelong risk of sight-threatening complications such as glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment and macular degeneration.
Is myopia genetic?
Yes, genetics play a primary role in determining a child’s risk for developing myopia.
Research shows that a child is twice as likely to be shortsighted if one parent has myopia, and the risk increases to five times more likely if both parents are myopic.
Myopia Treatment FAQs
Why not wear glasses or regular contacts for myopia?
Regular glasses and regular contact lenses only compensate for blurry distance vision and help your child see clearly, but do not treat the underlying cause of myopia – an eye that is too long. Without treatment, myopia usually progresses so your child’s vision will likely deteriorate every year, increasing their risk of other eye diseases.
Can child myopia be reversed?
Currently, there is no medical or surgical procedure that can reduce the axial length of the eye once it has elongated.
Treatment focuses entirely on slowing or stopping further growth through myopia treatments such as orthokeratology or specialised peripheral defocus lenses.
What are Ortho-K lenses?
Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K, is a type of contact lens that helps treat myopia progression.
These oxygen permeable contact lenses are only worn at night to shape eyes in a manner to prevent them from getting longer ie, more myopic. They also allow the child to see during the daytime without any other contact lenses or eyeglasses.
What is Atropine?
Atropine is a prescription eye drop that can help slow down the progression of myopia when prescribed by an optometrist.
Atropine is not specifically indicated as a treatment for progressive childhood myopia. Your optometrist can discuss if atropine might be right for your child as an off-label use.
My child has astigmatism/a high prescription already. Can they still be treated?
Yes.
Children with astigmatism or high prescriptions are still candidates for myopia management. We make sure to offer a variety of personalised treatments for each patient, including those with high astigmatism or high prescriptions. During the evaluation, our doctors will help determine the most effective treatment for your child.
What to Expect
What is the cost of treatment?
The initial consultation is bulk billed and we offer affordable treatment plans.
What is included in the first year? What happens after the first year? Most treatment plans include all optometrist visits for monitoring and materials needed for treatment. Cost may vary depending on treatment type.
How to reverse myopia in kids?
Myopia in children cannot be reversed because the structural changes – specifically the lengthening of the eyeball – are permanent. However, parents can effectively manage the condition through clinical interventions that slow the rate of progression, significantly reducing the risk of a child developing high myopia and associated sight-threatening complications later in life.
How effective is the treatment?
Most children see a reduction in the progression of their myopia and results can vary from patient to patient.
Our optometrists will discuss the treatment goals that are right for your child.
Each child is unique, so after your consultation the optometrist will recommend the treatment that they believe is best and expectations for that treatment.
Why is my child's vision getting worse?
A child’s vision typically worsens because their eyes are physically growing longer from front to back, a process called axial elongation. This rapid growth is driven by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as increased “near work” on digital devices and a lack of time outdoors
Can myopia improve with age?
No, myopia caused by the elongation of the eye cannot improve naturally because the eye’s physical structure is permanent.
While some adults over 40 may feel their distance vision is changing, this is usually due to presbyopia (the aging of the eye’s internal lens) masking the myopia rather than a true reversal of the condition.
