What is Myopia?
Myopia is short-sightedness. It occurs when the eyeball grows too fast, becoming too long, with the cornea too thick and curved. This causes light rays to focus in front of the retina instead of on it, leading to blurred long-distance vision.
Myopia is common amongst children aged 4-13 years old. A quarter of the global population is currently diagnosed with myopia, but this is expected to rise to 50% of the world’s population by 2050.
This huge increase is believed to be due to people, particularly children, spending more time in front of screens and less time outdoors.
Recent controlled trials show that children who spend more time outside (up to 14 hours a week or more) have less myopic shift and axial elongation than children who spend less time outside.
Similarly, there is research looking at the relationship between near work activities, such as looking at a digital screen and myopia progression. While not 100% conclusive, preliminary results indicate that excessive phone or computer use is associated with myopia. For this reason, we recommend monitoring the time your child spends on a phone or other digital device, ensuring they use them in good lighting and aim for them to spend around two hours a day outside.
Although there isn’t a cure for myopia, should your child be diagnosed with myopia, it is possible to manage the condition by slowing down the progression of myopia until your child’s eyes stop growing. At this point, whatever degree of myopia they have should stay relatively stable during adulthood.
Here at Walker and Campbell we offer several treatment options including MiyoSmart lenses and MiSight 1 Day contact lenses.
MiyoSmart
MiyoSmart is an innovative, award-winning, child-friendly spectacle lens proven to slow down myopia progression in children by up to 60%. Created by HOYA the MiyoSmart lens has hundreds of small defocus zones around a central optical zone, creating a myopic defocus effect at all distances. This slows down myopia progression and eyeball elongation.
Designed to suit a child’s active lifestyle, the lens is impact and scratch-resistant and has an anti-reflection coating. It also has U.V. protection which is essential in children as their eyes are in their critical development stages.
MiSight® 1 day contact lenses
Some children struggle to combine wearing glasses with their active lifestyles and may prefer contact lenses. MiSight 1 day contact lenses from Coopervision are child-friendly soft contact lenses with a unique optical design that not only corrects short-sightedness but can also help slow down myopia progression. Clinical trials have proven that MiSight 1 day contact lenses slow down myopia progression in children by 59% on average*, giving children the freedom to enjoy clear, spectacle-free vision.
Worried about your child wearing contact lenses?
Over a three-year clinical study MiSight 1 day contact lenses in children aged 8–15 years:
- 90% of children said they preferred wearing their MiSight 1 day contact lenses over their spectacles.
- 90% of children could handle MiSight 1 day lenses on their own.
- 100% of parents said their children were happy with the experience of wearing contact lenses, including comfort, vision, ease of use and freedom from spectacles.
But perhaps the best assurances come from our patients like Emma
Myopia Management at Walker and Campbell
Walker and Campbell offer a ‘Myopia Management’ plan for those requiring myopia treatment. For an individual direct debit of £8.50 per month, the plan includes:
- Initial eye examination, dispensing appointment
- Two week follow up appointment, questionnaire and fit check.
- Three monthly fit checks
- 6-month stage eye examination & 12-month stage eye examination.
- If there is more than an 0.50 D shift in prescription within the 12 months, a replacement pair of lenses will be included.
It also includes:
- Emergency appointments
- Discount of frames (Student 20% Off)
- 50% off repairs and replacements.
- If a spare pair is purchased within three months, there is also a 50% discount on lenses.
If you are concerned about your child’s sight or have questions about myopia and the different treatment options, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Or book an appointment on 01628 663055.
For more information about MiyoSmart, visit Hoya Vision
https://www.hoyavision.com/uk/vision-products/miyosmart/
For more information about MiSight® 1 day contact lenses visit Coopervision https://coopervision.co.uk/misight