New options for nearsightedness

Your vision is our business and providing information on possible changes to be aware of in their earliest stages can prove to be quite beneficial. With digital device use on the rise, especially in children and young adults, we are experiencing an increase in the prevalence of myopia in the general population. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common refractive condition that causes blurry vision when looking at a distance — for example, the change in vision you experience when looking at a cell phone and then looking across the room.

In 1979, approximately 25% of the population had myopia. Now, the number is close to 50% of the population. Myopia is corrected with glasses/contacts, however, if the amount of nearsightedness is large enough (-6.00 diopters or higher), it is labeled as pathologic myopia due to the abnormal lengthening of the eye that occurs. Having a larger myopic prescription is a risk factor for several eye conditions including retinal detachments, cataracts and glaucoma.

Luckily, there are ways to control or slow down the progression of myopia. One way is with Corneal Refractive Therapy, commonly known as CRT contact lenses. The patient actually sleeps in these contacts, and while asleep, the contact reshapes the cornea. Then you remove the contact when you wake up and have clear vision throughout the day! This temporary reshaping of the cornea each night has been shown to slow down myopia progression.

Another strategy is using soft multifocal (bifocal) contacts and also bifocal glasses. With the amount of computer screen time increasing, these methods can limit the effect that digital devices create. For the best results, it is strongly encouraged that these strategies are implemented during childhood or teenage years. The earlier the myopia is detected, the quicker your optometrist can use these techniques to slow down the progression of myopia and reduce the risk of having eye problems in the future!