Myopia

Protect Your Child’s Vision with Myopia Management

Studies have found that high myopia can affect your child’s eye health for life. At Expressive Eyes, we’re pleased to offer myopia management, a specialized program designed to slow down the progression of myopia and protect your child’s vision for the future.

Why Myopia Management Matters

• The Myopia Epidemic: By 2050, half of the world’s population is expected to be nearsighted. Early intervention is key to preventing high myopia, which can lead to serious eye conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, myopic macula degeneration and retinal detachment later in life.

• More Than Just Glasses: Traditional glasses and/or contact lenses fix visual refractive errors but don’t address the underlying progression of myopia, they only compensate the refractive error. Myopia management goes beyond compensation to actively slow down or  re-train myopia progression by changing the retinal structural growth.

How We Can Help

At Expressive Eyes we provide personalized myopia management solutions.

Interventions:

• Multifocal Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses: These lenses have different powers in different zones, which can reduce the strain on the eye and slow myopia progression.
• Orthokeratology (Ortho-K): Special rigid gas-permeable contact lenses are worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea, providing clear vision during the day and potentially slowing myopia progression
• Multifocal Contact Lenses: Daily wear lenses designed and researched to slow myopia progression while providing clear vision.
• Peripheral Defocus-Modifying Lenses: These lenses alter how light focuses on the peripheral retina, which research has shown to help reduce myopia progression.
• Atropine Eye Drops: Low-dose prescription eyedrops have been shown to effectively slow down myopia progression; this modality of treatment is only deliverable by ophthalmologists here in the UK. 

Behavioral and Environmental recommendation:

• Increased Outdoor Time: Spending at least 2 hours a day outdoors has been linked to a reduced risk of developing myopia and slowing its progression.
• Near Work Hygiene: Limiting prolonged close-up activities (e.g., reading, screen time) and encouraging regular breaks using the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds) can help. And here at Expressive Eyes we recommend further 20 blinks: 20-20-20-20 rule!

Regular Eye Exams:

Routine eye check-ups are essential for early detection and monitoring of myopia and progression, especially in children who are growing and so are their eyes.

Benefits of Myopia Management

• Slows Myopia Progression: Reduce the risk of high prescriptions and associated eye health risks and especially in the elongating growth of children’s eyes.
• Protects Long-Term Eye Health: Lower the chances of developing serious eye conditions in adulthood.
• Fewer Prescription Changes: Enjoy fewer incremental stronger glasses because of eye elongation management.
• Improved Quality of Life: Help your child to see clearly and confidently, both now and in the future.

At Expressive Eyes

• Expert Care: Our experienced optometrist is trained in the latest myopia management spectacle and/or contact lenses and uses special technology and instrumentation to monitor your child’s eye growth.
• Personalized Approach: We create customised treatment plan tailored to your child’s unique needs.
• Advanced Equipment: The progress or effectiveness of myopia management strategies can be measured scientifically and objectively with biometry.    Axial length biometry accurately measures the distance from the anterior corneal surface to the retinal pigment epithelium which is vital in myopia control as it helps track the progression of eye elongation over time. By regularly monitoring axial length, we can adjust treatment plans to slow down myopia progression and reduce the risk of associated complications. Without biometry, myopic management can be  likened to working without the proper tools. Since, we are serious about myopia management we have invested in a biometer to measure axial length and other eye measurements to determine progress of treatment.
• Support: We’re here to guide you every step of the way, from the initial consultation to ongoing care.

Gift of Vision Care

“Take the First Step Toward Protecting Your Child’s Vision!” Schedule a myopia management consultation today even if your child has recently had an eye examination. Let us help you give your child the gift of clear vision and a healthier future. Contact us now to book an appointment or learn more about our myopia management program.

Our optometrist has practiced myopic interventions for many years before the arrival of peripheral defocussing spectacle and contact lenses.  She has used bifocals, multifocal, degressive lenses and contact lenses for many years before the term “Myopia Management” was popularised.