When a child has myopia or nearsightedness, there are ways that it can be controlled. Not every myopia control method works for every child with the condition, so it may take a little while to find the right treatment for it. When your child has an eye exam, you can talk to the optometrist about the treatment methods for myopia. If you would like to schedule an eye exam with one of our eye doctors in Glendale, contact Family Eyecare of Glendale.
Atropine
Atropine eye drops are a type of prescription eye drop that does different things for the eyes, depending on the dosage. It's the same medication that causes the eyes to be dilated during an eye care exam. However, it can also be used for myopia control. When this is used for myopia control, the drops are placed in the child's eyes every night at bedtime. This soon becomes a part of the bedtime routine. When it's done every night, these eye drops can cause the progression of the child's myopia to slow or even halt. This can mean that the child doesn't get as strong a degree of myopia by the time they are an adult.
Ortho-k
Ortho-k is a type of contact lens that is used for the same purpose as atropine drops. When the contact lenses are used consistently and correctly, they can slow or stop the progression of the child's myopia. These contacts aren't worn during the day like regular contact lenses. Instead, they are put in when it's the child's bedtime and worn all night long.
In the morning, the contacts are removed. When the contacts are in, they put consistent pressure on the eyeballs to change their shape slightly. This can not only slow the worsening of the myopia, but it can also alter the eyes enough so that the child doesn't have to wear glasses. However, the effect is temporary. If they stop wearing the ortho-k lenses, their eyes will go back to needing glasses.
Slowing the Progression
Children with myopia often have their vision get worse rapidly and myopia control is a good way to control this. While children usually have a lot of eye changes during these years, as adults their vision becomes far more stable. The goal of myopia control is to make sure that their vision doesn't get much worse before it finally stabilizes.
Schedule Your Child's Eye Care
When your child needs an eye exam, call our eye doctors for an appointment at our Glendale, AZ, office. Call Family Eyecare of Glendale today at (602) 843-2900 or reach us through our website by using our online contact form.