What is Myopia? Why am I hearing about it more?
Myopia is also known as being short-sighted or near-sighted. If you are short-sighted, you have problems seeing things in the distance clearly. Myopia is often due to the eye being slightly too long.
The rate of myopia progresses more rapidly in children, with evidence showing that children are becoming more myopic at any earlier age. The condition usually starts in childhood (as young as 3 years old) and tends to get worse until the eye has stopped growing (between 16-21 years old).
This means myopia can keep progressing up until your early twenties, causing your prescription to increase and your vision become worse. Evidence is mounting that myopia is growing around the world, with a recent study estimating that on average, 30% of the world is currently myopic and by 2050 it is predicted that almost 50% of the population will be myopic.
Here at Focalpoint Opticians, not only do we offer standard spectacle and contact lens correction for myopia, we now offer three different types of myopia management. Myopia management is designed to slow the rate of myopia progression. Younger children will benefit from myopia management the most. There is no age limit to start myopia management.
We also offer new innovative technology called optical biometry which allows us to monitor the axial length of someone’s eye (the shape of the eye from the front to the back). This is important, as in myopia the shape of the eye grows too long causing someone’s prescription to increase. This technology allows us to track in more detail how the eye changes.
For further information, you can visit:
The following gives a brief outline of the three different forms of myopia management we offer to our patients.
MiSight Contact Lenses
MiSight is a daily disposable contact lens that corrects myopic refractive error like a traditional contact lens but is specially optically designed to help slow down the speed at which myopia progresses. You will need to wear them 5-6 days a week for them to work to their full potential.
Ideal candidates are children with a spectacle prescription between -0.50D to -6.00D.
For further information, you can visit:
https://youtu.be/Z8EQp10EAs4?si=ZapeAmnleMpGrmno
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) Contact Lenses
Firstly, it is a non-surgical procedure which provides the benefit of being able to see clearly whilst wearing no ocular correction during the day (no glasses or contact lenses during the day). Ortho-K is a non-permanent treatment unlike laser refractive surgery.
It involves wearing a reusable gas permeable contact lenses during the night whilst you sleep. You remove the contact lenses in the morning and should achieve perfect vision throughout the day without needing to wear any other form of refractive correction.
Ideal candidates are children with a spectacle prescription between -0.75 to -5.00DS with no more than
-1.00DC astigmatism.
For further information, you can visit:
MiYOSMART Spectacle Glasses
MiyoSmart is an innovative spectacle lens for myopia management. MiyoSmart are spectacle lenses that are designed to correct refractive error but also aim to slow down the progression of myopia.
It is comprised of a central clear optical zone for correcting refractive error and multiple defocus segments evenly surrounding the central zone of the lens to control myopia progression. Cosmetically the lens appears completely normal and clear.
Ideal candidates are children with a spectacle prescription between -0.25DS to -10.00DS with a maximum of -4.00DC astigmatism.
For further information, you can visit:
https://www.hoyavision.com/uk/for-spectacle-wearers/miyosmart/
