Benefits of Myopia Management

Myopia, also known as short-sightedness, is the most common refractive eye condition in the world and the most common cause of impaired vision in people under 40. Myopia causes objects in the distance to appear blurred, while the patient can usually see objects that are close by clearly. The condition occurs when the eyeball is long, relative to the focusing power of the cornea and lens of the eye, or because the lens is too curved for the length of the eye. This causes the light that passes through the eye to focus on a point in front of the retina rather than directly on it. As a result, the message the retina sends to the brain to be interpreted isn’t correct.

Myopia tends to begin in childhood when the patient is undergoing a period of rapid growth. You are also more likely to experience myopia if one of your parents has the condition. Nevertheless, the condition is progressive and in the vast majority of cases, it will continue to get worse into adulthood and put you at risk of myopia-related complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment - unless you consider myopia management.

What is Myopia Management?

Myopia management is the name given to a number of techniques that have been shown to slow and even halt the progression of myopia. In doing so, it can keep your myopia levels under control and reduce your risk of experiencing high myopia and associated complications in the future.

Myopia management is often recommended for children, as beginning the treatment early on will help to keep myopia levels as low as possible from the outset. However, the techniques can be used and be effective at any age.

Some of the myopia management options are:

Soft multifocal lenses.
Orthokeratology, which are special contact lenses that are worn overnight and reshape the eyes while you sleep. They are taken out during the day, and since the eye retains its new shape for some hours, it is possible for patients to see clearly without glasses or contact lenses.
Low dose atropine eye drops.

Patients can experience a number of benefits by choosing to undergo treatment to get their myopia under control. Some of the benefits of myopia management include the following:

Treatments are painless and non-invasive, which makes them suitable for most ages of patients.
Treatments are convenient and easy to use.
Orthokeratology lenses are created specifically for each patient, ensuring comfort while you sleep.
Orthokeratology can enable patients to see clearly for the duration of the day, without glasses, contact lenses, or laser vision correction surgery.
No significant risks associated with any of the myopia management techniques listed.
Treatments are cost-effective, particularly when compared to the cost of laser vision correction.
Orthokeratology is completely reversible, should the patient choose to stop treatment.
Controlling myopia early on can significantly reduce your risk of developing many eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment – all of which can threaten your vision.
Myopia management will help prevent patients from needing high prescriptions in the future.

If you would like more information about the benefits of myopia management, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert eye care team in Lawrence, KS.