Myopia, aka nearsightedness, is a condition where people have a hard time seeing clearly at a distance. Over the years, there has been an increase of myopia in children, which could be due to spending more time indoors on digital devices and computers. As children grow, this condition can worsen, requiring constant upgrades in their prescription. Children with myopia are also more prone to developing additional eye problems in later years. Although myopia can’t be cured, our Benefield Eye Care ophthalmologist, optometrist, and nurse practitioner team in Gulfport can keep it from worsening through myopia control treatment. Here’s what you should know about myopia control procedures.
Myopia Control Treatments
Myopia can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam from our Gulfport optometrist. Although the effects of myopia are irreversible, our optometrist can recommend treatments to manage your child's symptoms so his vision doesn’t continue to deteriorate. A lower level of myopia can protect your child from serious eye diseases as he or she grows older.
Myopia symptoms can be managed through using prescription eyeglasses and contacts, atropine eye drops, or wearing ortho-k contact lenses at night.
Eyeglasses
Eyeglasses are perhaps the easiest way of controlling myopia and improving your sight. Bifocals contain two lenses in the same pair of glasses to help children see clearly up close and at a distance. Bifocal lenses can help reduce eye stress, which can slow the progression of myopia symptoms. Contacts also provide clearer distance and near vision for children with myopia to reduce eye stress and keep myopia symptoms from growing worse with time.
Atropine Eye Drops
Our Gulfport optometrist uses atropine eye drops to dilate your eyes during an eye exam so he can detect eye problems and diseases easily. These drops have also been proven effective in keeping myopia from progressing. We recommend putting a single drop in your child’s eyes daily to keep symptoms from getting worse. Your child will still need to use contacts or eyeglasses to improve his vision.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-k) Lenses
Ortho-k contact lenses are specialty lenses designed to reshape the cornea of your child’s eye in order to improve his or her sight. The lenses are custom-made to your child’s prescription and are worn only at night while your child sleeps. Upon awakening, your child will notice improved sight. Your child’s vision will continue to improve daily as long as he wears the ortho-k lenses at night. Eventually, he’ll no longer need glasses or contacts to enjoy clear sight. The use of ortho-k lenses can reduce the progression rate of myopia by up to 50% to help protect your child’s sight.
Visit Our Gulfport Team for Myopia Control Treatment
To learn more about our myopia control procedures, contact Benefield Eye Care in Gulfport at (228) 328-0972.