Myopia, also known as nearsighted, is a type of refractive error that causes blurry vision in the distance. In order to see clearly, light entering the eye must focus on the retina. Myopia will develop and progress if the eye grows longer and/or if the eye focuses the image in front of the retina. Myopia is a common condition that affects 25% of the North American population and is more common in those with Asian ethnicity. Myopia is not a disease, but rather an eye focusing disorder. Myopia can be treated with visual aids including glasses, contact lenses, and refractive surgery.
It is estimated that by 2050, 50% of the world’s population will become myopic. Myopia development begins in children and is often diagnosed between 8-12 years old. However, in recent years it is more prevalent in younger children. During childhood and adolescents, the eyeball also rapidly grows with the body, leading to an increased amount of myopia.
Those with high myopia have an increased risk of developing vision threatening eye diseases and disorders. As myopia increases, the retina, a wall-paper like structure at the back of the eye responsible for collecting visual signals, becomes stretched. This change increases the risk of developing retinal conditions. Some of these conditions are permanent and can lead to reduction of vision or irreversible vision loss.
Myopia control encompasses a group of treatment methods that have been scientifically studied and proven to effectively slow down the progression of myopia in children. Unfortunately, there are currently no methods that can completely stop the progression. Treatment effect ranges between 14-63% which varies by method. These treatments achieve this by creating unique visual conditions which facilitate a slower progression of myopia as the child continues to grow. A combination of methods may be required in order to achieve adequate control.
During the consultation, your optometrist will discuss all treatment options with you. Together, you will decide which treatment method is best based on the findings during the examination, your child’s lifestyle, convenience, and cost.
Off-label use of low dose atropine eye drops have been found in several studies to reduce the progression of myopia by 50%, on average. Applied once a day, atropine treatment is continued as long as myopia progression continues. This treatment is commonly used in conjunction with single vision or myopia control eyeglasses to enhance the myopia control effect.
MiSight® 1 day is the world’s first one-day soft contact lens proven to slow myopia progression in children by 59%. These lenses are worn during waking hours, and then thrown out before bed; no need for storing or cleaning! These contact lenses will also correct the child’s vision at distance which means that no additional eyeglasses are required while contact lenses are worn.
Orthokeratology, is a method where custom designed hard contact lenses are applied to the eye before sleep. The gentle pressure of the eyelids onto the cornea, or surface of the eye, overnight results in temporary “molding” to correct the vision. Vision is corrected all day, so it is not necessary to wear glasses or contact lenses during waking hours. The effects are dramatic and free people from glasses or regular contact lenses. Although orthokeratology is used off-label as a treatment for myopia control, there are many scientific studies that show it is an effective method to reduce the progression of myopia by at least 49%.
Hoya MiyoSmart® reduces myopia progression by 52% on average using its specialized defocus design (DIMS). Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (D.I.M.S.) has 400 segments with a changed lens power of +3.50D surrounding the central prescription creates myopic defocus. This lens was studied for many years in Asia and has recently arrived in the North American market. Myopia control eyeglasses are an ideal option for children who may not be ready for eye drops or contact lenses. Curbs myopia progression on average by 60% and has proven to halt myopia progression in 21.5% of children through controlling eye growth.
Essilor Stellest uses highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (H.A.L.T.) technology. A constellation of 1021 lenslets with varying powers spread over 11 rings is designed to create a volume of signal that slows down elongation of the eye. Slows myopia progression by 67% on average. After the first year, the eye growth of 9/10 children wearing Stellest lenses was similar or slower than non-myopic children.
| Atropine |
MySight 1 Day |
Ortho K |
MiYOSMART & Stellest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regimen |
Every Night | At least 6 days per week, 10 hours per day |
Every Night | Full time wear during waking hours |
| Initial Fitting Cost |
N/A | Contact Us for Quote |
Contact Us for Quote | N/A |
| Initial Fitting Period |
N/A |
2-4 weeks |
3 months |
N/A |
| Treatment Cost |
Contact Us for Quote |
Contact Us for Quote |
Contact Us for Quote |
Contact Us for Quote |
| Follow-Up |
Every 6 months |
Every 6 months |
Every 6 months |
Every 6 months |
| More Info |
Cost Effective |
Relatively easy to handle |
Can see without correction during the day |
Cost effective and easy to administer |
A full comprehensive eye examination must be completed by the eye doctor to determine whether you or your child are a good myopia control candidate. If you are interested in myopia control and do not have a regular optometrist, you are welcome to see one of our great doctors.
If you are a candidate, our Optometrist will prescribe and supervise an individualized myopia control program for your specific needs. Myopia control starts with you, the parent and/or guardian. 75-90% of classroom learning occurs through vision. When a child’s vision is not performing optimally, learning and participation in activities is affected. Children are not likely to recognize their own problems with vision, which is why annual check ups with your optometrist beginning at 6 months of age are so important.
Myopia can start at an early age and rapidly progress until age of 17. New studies show that myopia progression can continue between 20 to 30, but at a slower rate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) about 5,000,000,000 people (50% of the world’s expected population) will be myopic (nearsighted) by year 2050 and approximately 1 billion will be a highly myopic. People with high myopia are at much higher risk of developing eye diseases such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, early cataract, and myopic macular degeneration later on in life.
All children and young adults should have annual eye exams and any kids with myopia of -0.25 or more should be monitored for progression. Remember, eye health exams are covered under Ontario Health until the age of 19 with a valid health card.
Monitoring myopia progression and starting myopia control early on can lead to optimal results. An effective option is Orthokeratology, also known as corneal reshaping. Ortho K lenses control the peripheral hyperopic defocus which is the cause of elongation of the eyeball and therefore progression of myopia. Ortho K or soft contact lenses can be the best option for myopia control, but pharmaceutical agents and special eyeglasses can be considered when the child or parents are not ready for contact lenses. When we fit contact lenses, we will teach them how to use and handle them safely. We have had many patients of all ages learn how to use and benefit from contact lenses through our experienced fitting and contact lens services.
Lifestyle changes can also help slow down the progression of myopia. Studies have shown that children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia early on. Receiving myopia treatment and being monitored by our Optometrist regularly will help guide lifestyle changes. We recommend to reduce unnecessary close work, taking breaks during close work activities, reduced screen time, and spending more time doing outdoor activities.
All of our Optometrists are experienced in myopia diagnosis, management, and treatment.
We take the time to educate your family on the options so you can make the best decision for your child. Our eye care team and Optometrists are happy to provide custom myopia control services that help your child’s visual needs.
Please visit us at any of our Dr. Archie Chung & Associates eye care clinics located in Toronto & Greater Toronto Area.
With continuous overnight wear, AOK lenses gradually flatten the cornea to reduce the patient’s myopia (near-sightedness). Do you have myopia (nearsightedness)? In a healthy eye, light focuses directly on the retina, producing a sharp and clear image. However, in a myopic eye, the eyeball is elongated, causing light to focus in front of the retina, which results in blurred distance vision. As your child grows, their eyes will continue to develop, likely causing their myopia to worsen over time. This progression can significantly affect their daily life and may lead to potential eye health issues in the future.
Most successful for patients with less than 5 dioptres of myopia and less than 0.75 dioptres of astigmatism. Helps with myopia control in children and adults. A comprehensive eye health exam and AOK consultation must be conducted to determine if the patient is a good candidate. Not a permanent procedure. Myopia will slowly return once contact lens wear ceases. Our optometrists will educate you about the process and ensure that AOK is a good visual solution that meet your needs.
Accelerated Orthokeratology assessments are available at Broadview Eyecare. We use specialty equipment such as a topographer to map your cornea and determine the best AOK hard lenses to improve your vision. Consultations with our Optometrists to discover if you are a good candidate for accelerated orthokeratology is also available at all Dr. Archie Chung & Associates. Learn more about myopia control by visiting AllAboutVision.com.
Speak with our optometrists, to discover if you are a good candidate for AOK.
Myopia usually starts around 8-12 years old and continues to get progressively worse until the child stops growing. The younger a child is when they first become nearsighted, the worse their prescription is likely to become. Most children who become nearsighted at a young age are often totally reliant on glasses to see by the time they have stopped growing.
Being reliant on glasses to see well leads to greater challenges in many aspects of everyday life – especially when growing up. Later in life, nearsightedness can lead to eye heath and vision issues; the more nearsighted you are, the greater these risks become.¹ It’s really important to look at solutions to slow down the speed at which nearsightedness progresses.
More than 50% of the global population will develop myopia by 2050.
Catching and treating myopia early can slow its progression, reducing the severity of myopia and in turn reducing the associated risk of developing these more serious eye conditions2,3. Our Optometrists understand the importance of keeping myopia under control. There are many current treatment options available:
Slowing myopia progression can significantly reduce the risk of myopia-related complications and vision loss later in life.
Millions of children across Canada are poised to benefit from a breakthrough therapy that addresses the fast-growing issue of myopia (nearsightedness), which is projected to negatively affect more than 50 percent of the world’s population by 20502.
CooperVision MiSight® 1 day contact lenses are now available for fitting by our Eye Care Professionals. It is the world’s first one-day soft contact lens clinically proven to substantially slow the progression of myopia in children. They look and feel like ordinary one day soft contact lenses, but they have a very different optical design called ActivControl™ Technology. Our Optometrists have been trained and educated to offer this unique contact lens solution.
MiSight® 1 day has been shown to reduce myopia progression by more than half versus a single-vision one-day lens1,4. Over three years, children wearing MiSight® 1 day had 59 percent less myopia progression and 52 percent less axial elongation on average than those wearing a single-vision one-day lens1. The innovative contact lens is designed for children who have a myopia prescription from -0.25 to -6.00. Its ActivControl® Technology addresses both axial elongation and refractive error4.
The lens is designed for children’s ease of use and parental peace of mind. In a multi-center study, 100 percent of children who had never worn contact lenses before found MiSight® 1 day easy to remove after one month of wear4. After a single month of wear, 85 percent of children said the lenses were easy to insert4. Children were found to have not changed their daily activities, and their wearing experiences were similar to those of children wearing a single-vision lens1. Children as young as age eight and new to contact lenses reported ease of handling‡. 90% of children said they preferred wearing their MiSight 1 day contact lenses over wearing their spectacles.* ≥ 98% reported seeing well while playing outdoors.* 90% of children reported seeing well while doing schoolwork, reading, watching TV, and playing video games.‡
Children agreed that MiSight 1 day gave them clear vision at a variety of distances during everyday activites. Parents in the same study also had a highly positive response, noting their children could mostly manage their lens wear independently. Prior to dispensing contact lenses, less than half of the parents were extremely at ease with their child wearing contact lenses, but this increased significantly to 79 percent after just one month and remained high through the two-year mark4. After their children had worn MiSight® 1 day contact lenses for three years, 100 percent of parents rated their children “happy” with the overall experience1,5.
*Over a three-year period of studying MiSight® 1 day contact lenses in children 8-15 years; 1 week through 3 year visits. †As reported by parents. After 1 month of wear 100% of the children found the lens easy to remove and 85% of who have never worn contact lenses before find the lenses easy to insert. ‡ From one-week through three-year visits.
