This form of the drug is neither available nor licensed for use in Europe. Pharmacological– daily use of low dose atropine drops have proven to be an effective method for myopia control. For more information, please see the Orthokeratology page. This method has shown to be effective in slowing the myopic growth of the eye 3. The effect of the corneal re-shaping causes a peripheral defocus in the peripheral retina. These are overnight wear lenses that mould the central corneal shape to provide corrected vision throughout the day. Orthokeratology- with rigid gas permeable lenses. Soft multifocal contact lenses– These contact lenses are intended for use for adults with presbyopia but their use in children and teenagers with myopia has shown to reduce the rate of myopia progression. Use of this type of correction in myopic children can help to reduce the rate of myopia progression. There are various methods to help slow the progression of myopia, these include:īifocals or progressive addition spectacle lenses– These are lenses similar to glasses used in adults for presbyopia, a near addition is provided to reduce the amount of accommodation needed for close work. Glasses are prescribed for myopia to correct vision however they do not prevent progression. We now need to be very serious in actively reducing the progression of myopia from as early as possible. The greater the degree of myopia, the greater the risk of sight threatening eye disease. The strong evidence provided by research tells us that myopia at any degree increases the risk of eye disease. Myopic maculopathy is 1 of the top 5 causes of blindness among working age people in the United Kingdom 1. Above -5.00DS, the risk of retinal detachment goes up to 20 times and for myopic maculopathy goes up to an alarming 40 times risk. Bearing in mind that this range was previously thought to be within the ‘physiological myopia’ bracket. From -3.00DS to -5.00DS there is tripled risk of glaucoma and cataracts and 9 times the risk of retinal detachment and myopic maculopathy. The statistics show someone with just -1.00DS myopia has double the risk of developing glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment and myopic maculopathy. This is to say that even low levels of myopia increase the risk of certain ocular conditions. What we now believe is that there is no level of myopia that can be described as ‘physiological’. This is classed as ‘pathological myopia’.Ī paper published by an Ophthalmologist 2 in 2012 changed our view of myopia. It has long been known that higher levels of myopia (typically higher than -5.00DS) poses greater risk of developing other eye conditions, including sight threatening ones. The lower degrees of myopia were described as ‘physiological myopia’. In the past, low levels of myopia were deemed the norm, just like normal levels of hypermetropia (longsightedness) and astigmatism where it poses little or no risk to eye health. More than 50% of the global population will develop myopia by 2050 4. A study shows myopia prevalence in children in the UK has more than doubled in the last 50 years 6.
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