What is Myopia?

Myopia is a medical name for short sightedness, where people can see objects that are near clearly but have problems with seeing things far away.

This is a very common condition that often starts in children or adolescents between 6-14 years old and possibly develops in adulthood. It can be corrected with eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Parents can catch the early symptoms when the child is:

• Eye rubbing
• Squinting
• Closing one eye to see
• Having trouble seeing the board in class
• Sitting too close to the tv
• Headaches
• Holding a book too close 
• Underperforming at school
• Not seeing clearly through their current glasses

If any of these symptoms apply to the child, it is best to consult with one of our optometrists.

There are now several different options available to slow down the progression of myopia.

Depending on your child’s prescription, eye health and  lifestyle needs, together with you, our optometrists will determine the most suitable option for your child.

Regular monitoring is essential as sometimes, treatment may need to be adjusted as needed.

Glasses with multiple lens powers (center distance, peripheral near) can reduce eye elongation.

• Zeiss MyoCare / MyoCare S
• Hoya MiyoSmart
• Essilor Stellest

Provide clear central vision while creating peripheral defocus, which slows axial eye growth.

• MiSight
• Abiliti 1 Day Contact Lenses

• Rigid gas-permeable lenses worn overnight to reshape the cornea.
• Worn at night; children can see clearly during the day without glasses.
• Read more about orthokeratology here

• Low Dose (0.01% - 0.05%) Atropine eye drops
  • Works by relaxing the eye’s growth signals 
  • Side effects: Mild light sensitivity, rarely near vision blur (less common at very low doses)