Myopia Management in Ken Caryl, CO

Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when people can see near objects clearly but have blurred vision when looking at far objects. Myopia is caused by the eye growing elongated over time and leads to progressive loss of vision and prescription changes. The higher the myopia, the greater the physical elongation of the eye.   

• Low myopia: -0.50 to -3.00   
• Moderate myopia: -3.00 to -5.00   
• High myopia: -5.00 and above   
• Extreme myopia is sometimes used to describe myopia more than -10.00  

Myopia is very common. Up to 40% of adults in the United States have myopia and require some form of vision correction. Myopia typically begins during childhood while the eyes are growing and developing and usually gets progressively worse throughout adolescence and young adulthood. Myopia is associated with an increase in vision-threatening eye diseases such as retinal detachments, cataracts, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration later in life.    

What are the symptoms of myopia?    

• Blurry vision when looking at far away objects.   
• The need to squint to see objects clearly.   
• Eyestrain.   
• Experiencing headaches caused by straining your eyes.    

Myopia can affect children in their daily life including academic performance, sporting activities, social interactions, independence, and self-esteem.  

The doctors at Eyecare Center of Ken Caryl diagnose and treat myopia in children and adults. They also have expertise in working with children who have progressive myopia. 

What are the treatment options for myopia?   

When children and adults are diagnosed with myopia, they receive a prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct their vision. Because progressive myopia has a negative impact on eye health and quality of life, it is important to get pediatric eye exams regularly to screen for this condition. The earlier myopia is diagnosed, the sooner the doctor can create a myopia management plan that can help your child avoid significant eye health issues later in life. Some forms of myopia may be slowed or controlled in children if caught early enough.  

MiSight® 1-day soft contact lenses 

Our doctors are certified providers of a treatment designed to slow the progression of myopia which utilizes special contact lenses called MiSight® 1-day soft contact lenses. MiSight® 1-day soft contact lenses are the first and only soft contact lenses that are FDA-approved to slow the progression of myopia in children aged 8-12 at the start of treatment. Approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that the lenses have been tested over a long period and have met all the safety requirements established.     

This form of myopia management is safe and proven to be effective. Kids ages 8-12 wearing MiSight® 1-day contact lenses experienced an average of 59 percent reduction of myopia progression when used over three years.  

Ortho-k lenses – Paragon CRT®  

Ortho-k (short for orthokeratology) is a non-surgical solution for patients with myopia that uses specially designed contact lenses to improve vision. One treatment option we offer at Eyecare Center of Ken Caryl is Paragon CRT®.  

When worn overnight, Paragon CRT® contact lenses gently correct the curvature of the corneas, resulting in a corneal shape that focuses light correctly onto the retina. When removed in the morning, distant objects will come back into focus and patients can see clearly without the use of glasses or daytime contacts. These lenses are FDA-approved for both children and adults and are a great solution for people who want a lens-free lifestyle during the day and are either too young for LASIK or not a candidate for LASIK.  

Atropine eye drops

Atropine, a medication traditionally used to dilate the pupils, has shown great potential in slowing down the progression of myopia in children. Atropine works by temporarily paralyzing the muscles in the eye that control the size of the pupil. This, in turn, slows down the progression of myopia by reducing the amount of strain on the eye. 

Studies have shown that atropine drops can effectively slow down the progression of myopia in children and teenagers. In fact, some research has suggested that low-dose atropine drops may be able to reduce the development of myopia by up to 50%. The earlier a child begins using atropine drops, the more effective they may be for managing myopia over time.

Managing myopia    

If your child’s prescription is getting worse every year due to progressive myopia, the first step to managing the condition is to schedule a pediatric eye exam. Our skilled optometrists will fully assess your child’s eye health and vision and work with you to develop a customized treatment plan.  

If you have been diagnosed with myopia and are interested in an eyeglasses and lens-free lifestyle during the day but aren’t interested in LASIK or aren’t a suitable candidate for refractive eye surgery, our orthokeratology lenses may be the perfect solution. The first step is to schedule a comprehensive eye exam so that we can fully assess your eye health and vision, and then we’ll consult with you about our orthokeratology lenses to help manage your myopia.