Myopia Management in New York

Is Your Child Short-sighted?

Childhood myopia, also known as near or short-sighted, can cause very serious eye diseases later in life. Offer your child a brighter future with myopia management.

Why Does Myopia Need to Be Managed?

Myopia (nearsightedness) is reaching epidemic proportions. By 2050, half of the world’s population is expected to have myopia. That’s worrying, as having myopia significantly raises the risk of developing sight-threatening eye diseases later in life, such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and macular degeneration.

The level of myopia a child has is directly correlated to their risk of eye disease — the higher the myopia, the greater the risk. A child between -0.75D and -3.00 is more than 3 times more likely to develop retinal detachment in the future. That number triples for individuals with high myopia (-5.00 and above).

If you’re concerned that your child’s vision is deteriorating, contact 20/20 Eye Care today. We can help.

Did You Know Myopia Is Caused By Abnormal Eye Growth?

Myopia is the most common refractive error among children and young adults. It occurs when the eye elongates, causing rays of light to focus in front of the light-sensitive retina rather than directly on it. This causes distant objects to appear blurred while nearby objects remain clear.

The degree of myopia can progress gradually or rapidly, especially from ages 8-18. This is not just a matter of inconvenience or needing stronger glasses; if the myopia continues to progress, the child is at a higher risk of developing dangerous eye diseases later in life that can lead to permanent vision loss and even blindness.

Although [eyeglasses] and standard contact lenses can correct a person’s vision, they do not treat the underlying cause of myopia or slow its progression.

Treatment Options for Myopia

There are three specific treatment options to slow the progression of myopia.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-k)
Atropine eye drops
Multifocal contact lenses

Our doctors work closely with each family and customize treatment programs for every child based on their unique needs. Patients are thoroughly evaluated, carefully monitored, and reviewed frequently in order to monitor progress and modify the treatment to ensure best outcomes. Follow-up visits generally occur every 6-12 months to assess the treatment’s efficacy.

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What Parents Are Saying About Myopia Management

Myopia increases the risk of serious, sight threatening complications.

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Myopia Management?

If you are concerned about your child’s myopia, call our practice today. Our team of eye care professionals will help you understand more about your child's nearsightedness and will determine whether your child is a candidate for myopia management.

Take our myopia assessment online to find out whether your child could benefit from this life-changing treatment.

TAKE THE MYOPIA QUIZ

Myopia Management Offers a Brighter Future | FAQ

If you’ve been wearing glasses or contacts for many years without much concern, it may seem unnecessary to manage your child’s myopia. However, it’s a worthwhile and important investment, as rapidly progressing myopia may lead to more severe eye complications and sight-threatening conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal detachment.

In fact, the longer the eyeball length, the greater the risk of ocular complications down the line.

Myopia management has been shown to effectively help reduce the rate of growth of the eyeball in children and teens by slowing its progression. Offer your child a brighter future with myopia management.

Can Myopia Lead to Blindness?

In extreme circumstances, myopia can lead to serious vision-threatening complications, including blindness. This occurs primarily in cases where high myopia has reached an advanced stage called degenerative myopia.

What is Progressive Myopia?

Progressive myopia is nearsightedness that continues to worsen year after year. This progression can result in severe myopia, also called high myopia, that may be associated with potentially serious side effects.

Can Myopia Be Cured?

Currently, there is no cure for myopia. But myopia management methods like Ortho-K, multifocal contact lenses and atropine eye drops can slow its progression.

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Soft Multifocal Contacts For Clear and Convenient Myopia Management

Soft multifocal lenses can be used to halt the eye elongation responsible for myopia. This not only corrects your child’s vision, but also slows or stops myopia from progressing altogether.
Is Myopia Management Safe For Dry Eyes?

There are several ways to manage myopia (nearsightedness), but are they appropriate for children with dry eye syndrome? In most cases, the answer is ‘yes.’
Orthokeratology for Myopia Control in Kids

Orthokeratology, also known as “ortho-k”, is a safe and effective method of correcting vision while slowing the progression of myopia in children. If you are the parent of a nearsighted child, learn how ortho-k can also help preserve your child’s eye health.
What Are Overnight Ortho-K Contact Lenses?

Orthokeratology. Ortho-k. Overnight lenses. Dream Lenses. No matter what you call them, these custom-fitted contact lenses are worn solely at night, allowing both children and adults to see clearly during the day without glasses or contacts.
Is Your Child A Candidate For Myopia Management?

If your child has myopia, take action and help mitigate their risk of developing eye disease in the future. Read on to learn about myopia management, and whether your child could be a candidate.
Ortho-K, the Safe Way to Sleep in Contact Lenses

Eyeglasses and standard contact lenses help children and teens with myopia (nearsightedness) see better, but do nothing to slow myopia’s progression. In contrast, orthokeratology (ortho-k) slows down myopia using custom-fitted gas-permeable contact lenses designed to be worn overnight.
How OrthoK Works

A comprehensive explanation of the mechanics of ortho-k.
What Treatments Are Used In Myopia Management?

By slowing myopia progression early on, you can significantly reduce your child's risk of developing sight-robbing eye diseases later in life. Read on to learn about the various myopia management treatments in use, and their associated benefits.
Atropine Therapy for Myopia Management

Atropine therapy are prescription eye drops that have been shown to stop or slow down the progression of myopia (nearsightedness).
Ortho-K Lenses | What Is the Cost of Great Vision?

Ortho-k contact lenses are among the finest contact lenses on the market, made with superior quality materials and completely personalized to each eye for an exclusively customized visual experience. Their cost, while higher than standard lenses, are worth it in the long run. Here's why.
Vision Correction

Vision Correction is used to correct refractive errors such as myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (when light enters the eye incorrectly), or presbyopia (farsightedness due to aging). Read on to learn all about surgery-free vision correction.
Can Too Much Screen Time Impact Children’s Health and Vision?

The overuse of digital media in today’s day and age is not without concern, especially for children. While these devices have improved our lives in many ways, certain physical and mental problems can result from overexposure to screens. By following the following measures and tips, you’ll keep your tech-savvy child seeing clearly and feeling healthy.
Myopia Management Blog

Keep Up-To-Date with our Myopia Management Blog!
How Is Myopia Dangerous? Isn’t It Just Inconvenient?

Myopia progression in children dramatically increases the risk of developing serious eye conditions later in life, such as cataracts, retinal detachments, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Ortho-K, a Little Known Contact Lens Alternative for Athletes

Ortho-k overnight lenses provide a perfect solution for athletes with myopia. They eliminate the need for wearing glasses or contact lenses during the day while ensuring stable, clear vision and safety when playing sports.
Myopia Management Resources

The prevalence of myopia in the world is growing at high rates. Scientists are researching the reasons and treatment methods all over the world. Find here a list of recent relevant studies concerning myopia management.
Ortho-k in Myopia Management Resources

Orthokeratology research has been going on for the past 20 years. We have collected some of the most recent scientific studies supporting orthokeratology and confirming the positive results in using ortho-k in myopia management. You can find links to some of the more significant articles on this page.
Myopia Management Quiz

Take the Myopia Questionnaire to assess the symptoms of your eyes that could be hindering the quality of your vision.
Why Should You Care About Myopia?

Myopia is the most common and rapidly proliferating vision problem in children today. High levels of myopia increase the risk of developing severe sight-threatening eye diseases later in life. Myopia management can slow down or stop myopia progression, thus keeping your child in the safe zone.