Myopia Control in Brampton

How to Slow Down Myopia Progression

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common vision problem that affects many individuals, especially children. In particular, myopia is a refractive error in the eye that affects a person’s ability to see distant objects clearly. In individuals with myopia, close objects can be seen more clearly than objects at a distance. This occurs when the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the front part of the eye) has too much curvature. As a result, light entering the eye is focused in front of the retina instead of directly on it, causing nearsightedness.

Researchers have identified three primary strategies to slow down the progression of myopia; contact lenses, glasses, and/or prescription eye drop therapy.

By strategically altering the way light is focused from our peripheral (side) vision, we can effectively signal the eye to reduce its rate of growth, ultimately slowing down the development of myopia. The key factor contributing to myopia is the elongation of the eye.

CooperVision’s innovative MiSight soft disposable contact lens is designed for daily wear (no overnight use) and it has a customized optical profile to modify peripheral light focus. It has demonstrated an impressive 59% reduction in the progression of myopia. This lens received approval from Health Canada in November 2017 and from the FDA in April 2020.

Sunshine Modern Eye Care is delighted to offer MiSight soft contact lenses, which not only slow myopia progression but also reduce the risk of infection and contamination, making them particularly suitable for children, as they don’t need to be disinfected and reused.

Furthermore, specially designed optical lenses are available to accomplish the same peripheral light focus alteration. Recent advancements now allow for prescription control similar to that of contact lenses or eye drops, achieving a range of 50-60%. Currently, our preferred optical lens is the MiyoSmart lens by Hoya.

Atropine, with a history of over a century in eye care, has traditionally been used by eye doctors for internal eye examination and treatment of specific eye conditions. Recent research has found that atropine can reduce the rate of prescription change in myopia by approximately 50%. These eye drops are administered once a day before bedtime and are often used in conjunction with glasses or contact lenses when additional myopia control is required.