Understanding Myopia (nearsightedness): Why Personalized, Myopia Management for Lifelong Vision Health Matters

Myopia is a visual developmental disorder that often presents as blurred distance vision. How you manage myopia can make all the difference

Myopia is becoming more common, is developing at earlier ages due to the change in the environment children are growing up in, and if nothing is done, is leading to higher and more severe levels compared to generations past. This leads to higher risk of vision complications throughout life, not just higher prescriptions.

The good news is that we have research proven interventions to help slow down the rate of change in myopia, something that was not readily available in the early 2000’s and prior. There has been a surge in interventions over the past decade and we now have multiple options to slow myopia progression for children including; medication eye drops, overnight corneal reshaping therapy (CRT), specialized soft contact lenses and specialized glasses lenses. There are more interventions in the pipeline including red light/photo therapy, different design contact lenses and glasses lenses.

Not all myopia programs are created equally. This is a highly valuable area of medical eye and vision care that requires a considerable investment in time and education to practice at a high level. Parents can find different levels of care that will be reflected in the cost of the services. How do you know if the provider is a good fit for your family?

What parents should know and be asking their doctor:

When you hear that your child has myopia we hope that this blog helps frame the discussion. If you have any questions about your child, even if you are not a current patient at Park Ridge Vision, feel free to email me personally: drpress@prvisioncare.com and I will be happy to answer your questions. We are passionate about providing expert care to all of our patients in order to improve quality of life and to find solutions to various vision challenges.