What is Myopia and What is "Myopia Management"?

Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a progressive and irreversible eye disease in which distance vision appears out of focus or blurry.

Myopia is progressive in nature and is generally linked to excessive screen time, poor lighting, indoor play, and genetics. As myopia progresses, the eyeball elongates, increasing the axial length of the eye from the front surface to the back surface.

Myopia that onsets in childhood increases the risk of vision-threatening conditions such as retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts.

A key concern with nearsightedness is that it increases the risk of vision-affecting conditions like glaucoma, maculopathy, retinal detachment, and cataracts. Many children who receive vision screenings at their pediatrician's office may only receive basic visual acuity testing for distance vision.

A comprehensive eye exam, performed yearly starting at age 3, is essential to diagnose early signs of nearsightedness or evaluate the risk of developing myopia.

At our office, we offer a free consultation if a child demonstrates a risk for progressive myopia, to better educate families on the best treatment options available to help slow progression.

So if your child is diagnosed with myopia, what do we do about it?

As per the World Council of Optometry, myopia management is the standard of care. We are a MiSight and Ortho-K certified practice.

Glasses are simply not enough.

Myopia management goes beyond glasses. It's about using FDA-approved methods to correct vision and help protect children's eyes as they grow. Glasses are generally intended only for improving vision and do not prevent myopic progression or decrease the risk of complications related to myopia.

We recommend all children have their first eye exam at age 3 to assess for risk of myopia development. Early diagnosis is the key to controlling myopia. Due to the long-term implications of progressive myopia, if left unmanaged, it can lead to retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts.