Does your child spend a lot of time squinting at the television? Do they complain that they can’t see things far away from them?
They could have a common refractive error called myopia. Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare can treat myopia and help your child see better.
What is Myopia?
Myopia, commonly referred to as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that causes things at a distance to appear blurry while those up close will be clear. If you’re nearsighted, the shape of your eye will cause rays of light to focus at the front of your retina instead of directly on it, making distant objects look blurry or fuzzy.
Children usually begin developing myopia in childhood, but it can worsen throughout the teen years. However, with proper treatment from your eye doctor, you can slow down the progression of myopia.
Treating Myopia at Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare
Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare offer several treatment options for myopia. First, your child’s eye doctor will diagnose them with myopia, and then they will determine the most appropriate way to treat it. These treatment options include:
Atropine Eye Drops
Atropine eye drops are one of the most common ways of treating myopia. Atropine temporarily paralyzes the muscles that cause the eye to elongate.
Using atropine eye drops daily can significantly slow myopia progression in children. If your child is being treated with atropine eye drops, we will carefully monitor the dosage to balance effectiveness with potential side effects like light sensitivity or difficulty focusing up close.
MiSight® Contact Lenses
MiSight® contact lenses are soft contact lenses that help focus light rays properly onto the retina. The dual focus design uses the center ring to give perfect distance correction while the outer ring defocuses the image so it arrests elongation of the eye.
Clinical studies show that children wearing MiSight® contact lenses show about 60% slower progression of myopia over three years than children wearing standard contact lenses. MiSight® contact lenses correct vision for refractive errors and slow myopia progression in children ages 8-12.
Corneal Molding Coming in the Summer of 2024
Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare will also offer corneal molding for myopia patients starting in the summer of 2024. Corneal molding is a method that uses specialty rigid contact lenses worn overnight to gently reshape the cornea.
When these rigid contact lenses are worn every night, they may slow down the elongation of the eye more than other myopia treatments. Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare will offer corneal molding to our patients starting in the summer of 2024. The doctors at Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare will be able to tell if this and other treatments are a good fit for treating your child’s myopia.
The key is to not only monitor myopia progression but also start treatment as soon as possible. The earlier treatment begins, the more effective it is. Myopia control is also about more than better eyesight. Slowing down its progression also reduces the risk of future retinal problems and vision for your child.
Do you think your child could have myopia or needs treatment? Learn more about myopia and the best way to treat this eye condition by requesting an appointment at Fichte, Endl, and Elmer Eyecare
