Myopia Management
WHAT IS MYOPIA?
Myopia, also commonly known as near-sightedness, results in a person not being able to see distance objects without the use of glasses or contact lenses. The most troubling aspect of myopia is the rapidly increasing number of people suffering from this condition and the increasing number of patients with high myopia (> -5.00 Diopters).
In 2000 22% of the world population myopic (1.34 billion people), 2% of the population being classified as high myopia. The projected 2050 (estimated from current rates of increase) 49% of the population (49 billion people) myopic 9.7% of the population with high myopia.
The more myopic (near-sighted) an eye progresses, the more dependent on vision correction (glasses and contact lenses) a person becomes. Even more importantly, as an eye becomes more near-sighted, the axial length or size of the eye increases. As an eye becomes larger, the structural and sensory components of the eye (sclera, retina) are forced to stretch to accommodate this increased surface area. This stretching can result in weakening of the ocular tissue and the risk of serious ocular health complications greatly increases later in life.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Myopia Management is one of the newest and most exciting areas in Optometry and eye-care. For many years, the only treatment offered for patients becoming more and more near-sighted was to prescribe stronger prescription glasses and contact lenses and hope that one day the progression will stop. Myopia tends to progress most rapidly through our adolescent and teenage years. This happens as our bodies are rapidly growing over this time period and the eye is growing as well (increasing axial length). The last decade has shown a concerted effort by researchers to identify evidence-based treatment options to slow or halt myopia progression. Current treatment options that have been shown to slow myopia progression include:
- Orthokeratology (night time contact lens wear)
- Daily, Multi-focal contact lenses
- Eye drops (Atropine)
- Multi-focus glasses
The rate of success of these treatment options has varied from patient to patient, with the most effective treatments (Orthokeratology, Daily Multi-focal lenses and Atropine) resulting in ~50% slowing of progression, with a range of slowing from 30-80% depending on specific treatments and patient characteristics in each of the studies.
Our optometrists will determine a treatment option that is going to best slow or stop the progression of myopia specific to individual patient needs. Myopia Management is not a single treatment recommendation, but a management plan that encompasses regular monitoring (every 3-6 months) and an evolving strategy based on treatment success and guided by the most recent scientific research and clinical guidelines.