Myopia is an eye condition that can lead to serious eye diseases over time. A symptom of myopia is nearsightedness where distance vision becomes unclear without the aid of vision correction. At Vision Solutions Optometry in San Diego, CA, we have been providing patients with myopia management treatment options for the past 25 years and are a leader in the field of myopia control.
Why Is Myopia Considered A Disease?
Myopia is a condition of the eye where the eyeball elongates from front to back over time and creates difficulty seeing distance objects. The light that needs to focus on the retina for clear vision is now focused shorter than the retinal surface and blurry vision occurs. The eye elongation (axial elongation in medical terms) begins to stretch the structures inside the eye and put them under tension. This in turn will stretch the retina, the optic nerve, the macula, and the sclera. With time, diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal holes or tears, and myopic degeneration can occur. The higher the myope, the more stretching of these structures occurs and the risk elevates. Routine eye care to check for eye disease yearly is recommended.
What Can Be Done As Prevention?
If you have myopia, there are several ways to prevent this condition from getting worse over time. Getting routine eyecare with Vision Solutions Optometry is the first step. We can measure the axial length of the eye at your eye examination and monitor it for change.
If myopia continues to worsen, we can recommend the best treatment option for you and your children to slow down or stop this progression. There are several treatments known to prevent the worsening of myopia.
-Orthokeratology: The patient is fit with a special mold contact lens that is worn on the eye overnight while sleeping. It gently reshapes the eye’s surface to temporarily eliminate the myopia and provide clear vision without glasses or contact lenses. It works by exposing the eye to “Visual confusion” on the retina therefore preventing the axial length from elongating.
Daytime Myopia Control Contact Lenses: The patient is fit with contact lenses worn only during the day to provide clear vision at all distances. Again the lens is designed in a special way that there “visual confusion” that prevents the elongation of the eye.
Atropine Drops: The patient instills Atropine drops (compounded at a special pharmacy in a very low concentration) nightly in both eyes. The atropine stops the elongation of the eyeball to prevent myopia from worsening. Glasses or routine contact lenses would still be needed during the day for best vision.
Schedule an Appointment with Us
Myopia is becoming a widespread problem with our use of electronics. Children at becoming myopic at a greater and faster rate than ever before. At Vision Solutions Optometry in San Diego, CA, we are here to help! Call our office at (619) 461-4913 to schedule an appointment. We can help you with the prevention and control of myopia symptoms.
