Maybe your child squints at the board, holds their tablet too close, or struggles to read street signs. It’s a moment many parents face—learning their child has myopia, or nearsightedness. It’s natural to feel a mix of concern and questions bubbling up.
We cannot reverse or cure myopia. We can, however, slow its progression, by starting myopia control therapy early.
Among all your back-to-school planning, don’t forget to pencil in your child’s annual routine eye exam. After all, children rely on their eyesight for lifelong learning.
More on Myopia
Your eyes’ shape directly affects the clarity of your vision. An eye with no refractive error is round. When light enters such an eye, that light lands directly on the retina, resulting in clear vision at all distances.
Myopia is a refractive error that occurs when the eye grows too long or the cornea curves too much. This causes light to focus in front of the retina, making distant objects appear blurry while close-up vision remains clear.
Think of it this way: once an eye grows too quickly, that growth can’t be undone. That’s why myopia can’t truly be “reversed”—we can’t shrink an eye back to its original size.
This doesn’t mean there’s no hope for managing myopia. Thanks to myopia control therapies, there are measures we can take to prevent myopia (and vision) from worsening. The result? Less reliance on stronger prescriptions and the risks associated with high myopia.
Myopia Control: It Matters More Than You Think
Why control myopia in the first place? After all, glasses and contact lenses are simple, tried-and-true ways to correct refractive errors. The reality, however, is that normal glasses and contact lenses correct your vision, but they don’t address myopia’s underlying problem: eye elongation.
Without proper intervention, myopia typically worsens throughout childhood and adolescence. Prescriptions become stronger, and as the eye continues elongating, this further stresses its delicate structures.
What starts as mild nearsightedness can progress to severe (or high) myopia, defined as -6.00 diopters or greater, which significantly increases the risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including:
- Retinal detachment
- Macular degeneration
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
The goal of myopia control isn’t to reverse existing nearsightedness—it’s to prevent myopia from becoming severe. Even slowing progression by just one diopter can reduce your child’s risk of sight-threatening complications by 40%.
This is exactly why we should start myopia control therapy as soon as we identify it. This gives us a window of opportunity to positively influence children’s eye health and slow the progression of their myopia.
Myopia Control with Pinehouse Eyecare
Myopia control treatments aim to slow nearsightedness’ progression in children and young adults. They work by changing the way light focuses in the eye, which reduces the signals that tell the eye to keep growing.
Research suggests that these treatments can slow myopia progression by up to 50%. This might not sound dramatic, but it can mean the difference between mild myopia and high myopia, which significantly affects a person’s quality of life and eye health.
Watching your child’s vision become worse year after year can be concerning. That’s why our team is focused on finding the right solution for each child, based on their age, lifestyle, and how fast their myopia is developing.
Here’s what we offer in terms of myopia control:
MiSight 1 Day Contact Lenses
MiSight 1 Day contact lenses feature a dual-focus design that corrects your child’s vision while simultaneously sending signals to slow eye growth. The centre of the lens provides clear distance vision, while the peripheral zones create a “myopic defocus” effect that research shows can significantly slow myopia progression.
MiSight lenses are daily disposables, which means fresh, clean lenses every day with no cleaning or storage required. This makes them particularly suitable for children, as there’s less risk of eye infections from improper lens care.
Multifocal Glasses & Contact Lenses
Multifocal lenses for myopia control are another excellent option. These lenses have multiple prescription zones that not only correct your child’s current vision, but also help control further progression. They’re available as eyeglass lenses or as contact lenses with daily or monthly replacement schedules.
The advantage of multifocal options is that they can be customized to your child’s specific needs and comfort level. Some children do better with glasses initially and transition to contact lenses later, while others prefer the freedom that contact lenses provide for sports and activities.
Taking Action: Your Child’s Vision Journey Starts Here
Myopia is not reversible, but it also doesn’t have to be inevitable.
With the right approach and early intervention, we can significantly slow how quickly your child’s nearsightedness worsens. It requires commitment, but myopia control is one of the most important investments you can make in your little one’s long-term eye health.Start this back-to-school season off on a positive note. Book your child’s annual routine eye exam with Pinehouse Eyecare today!
