What is Myopia?

Jessica J. Lee O.D • March 19, 2021

What Does NJ Eye and Ear Offer for Myopia?

What is Myopia?

Myopia is nearsightedness, which means that you can see close objects, but objects farther away appear blurred. Myopia occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the clear front cover of the eye) is too curved. As a result, the light entering the eye isn’t focused correctly, and glasses or contact lenses will correct the blur.

Why is my child’s prescription going up every year?

Myopia prescription tends to get worse as kids get older, because as the child grows, their eyes continue to grow as well. The peak of progression is usually around 8-13, and usually slows down or stabilizes around age 16-18.

What is Myopia control?

“Myopia control” is a term used to describe specific treatments to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children.

What is offered at NJ Eye and Ear for myopia control?

Currently we offer two options of specialty myopia control contacts lenses: MiSight soft lenses, and Ortho-K hard lenses. These are two very different types of contacts, and the doctor would recommend you the better option after a consultation.

MiSight Lenses (Coopervision)

MiSight lenses are the first FDA-approved soft contact lenses for controlling myopia progression in children. These are soft, disposable lenses that are worn during the day, and discarded at night. Patient cannot sleep in these lenses.

MiSight lenses have concentric rings to redirect how light hits the retina, which tricks the eye into not growing too long. Studies have shown reduction in myopia progression by 59% compared to standard single vision daily lenses.

To get the full recommended benefit, children must wear the MiSight lenses at least six days a week, for 10 hours a day. Like all standard lenses, MiSight lenses pose a risk for corneal infection. Good contact lens hygiene can lower this risk.

Ortho-Keratology (Paragon CRT lenses)

Ortho-K uses a series of custom-fitted hard contact lenses to temporarily reshape the cornea. You can imagine them like retainers, but for the eyes. These hard lenses are worn before bedtime, then removed in the morning. When the lenses are worn nightly, children with myopia can see clearly the next day without needing glasses or contacts throughout the day. But when the child stops using the lenses, the cornea will go back to its original shape and myopia returns.

Multiple studies suggest ortho-K lenses slow the eye’s growth by nearly 53%, effectively slowing down the progression of myopia.

Wearing any lenses overnight can increase the risk of infection, therefore, they require thorough cleaning and extra hygiene steps compared with disposable lenses.

Contact lenses for children sound intimidating, however most children between age 8-13 can complete our insertion and removal training (either MiSight or Ortho-K) within 1 to 2 days.

What else can I do to slow down the progression of myopia?

- Some studies show that outdoor activity reduces the prevalence of myopia in children. I recommend children to spend at least 1-2 hours outdoors during the day.

- 20/20/20 rule is especially important due to the increased computer/screen-time during these times. Every 20 minutes of screen-time, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Jessica J. Lee O.D

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