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What is Myopia?
Myopia, or nearsightedness, refers to the ability to see near objects clearly while distant objects appear blurry without glasses. Myopia develops when the eye grows too long for its optical power. Higher levels of myopia significantly increase the risk of sight-threatening complications

What Causes Myopia?
Myopia has become increasingly prevalent. In the US, levels of myopia have reached 50%, while in Asia they are at epidemic levels. Both genetics as well as visual habits have been shown to contribute to the progression of myopia. If both parents are myopic, then their child is more than 5x more likely to develop myopia themselves. Other factors such as time spent outdoors, time devoted to near activities (smartphones, laptops, etc) as well circadian rhythm may play a role.

Why Try To Control Myopia Growth?
Once a child develops myopia, the average rate of progression is 0.50 diopters per year. Myopia has been associated with sight-threatening conditions such as cataracts, primary open angle glaucoma, and retinal detachments. The higher the amount of myopia, the greater the risk of these condition​s. Therefore, reducing a person’s myopia progression also reduces their risk of the above conditions. Myopia generally stops progression in your late teens or early twenties.

What Are The Treatment Options for Controlling Myopia?
There are treatments available which have been shown in studies to reduce a patient’s long-term myopia progression. The MiSight® 1 day soft contact lens, is FDA approved to slow the progression of myopia. All the techniques below have been approved by the FDA, but not specifically for the slowing of myopia – as such, these are “off-label” uses of approved techniques.
  • Atropine Drops 
​Atropine eye drops are traditionally used at higher concentrations to cause dilation of the pupil of the eye. It is also being used at lower doses to slow the progression of myopia in the eye. It is not certain the mechanism of action. Using atropine eye drops has been shown to reduce myopia progression by an average of 60%.
  • Multifocal Contact Lenses 
​Multifocal contact lenses are soft or gas permeable lenses which are traditionally used to help patients see clearly at near. They have also been used for the slowing of myopia progression, reducing it by an average of 50%.
  • Orthokeratology (Ortho K) 
​Ortho K refers to gas permeable lenses which are worn while sleeping and removed in the morning. They temporarily change the shape of the cornea to correct for low-to-moderate amounts of myopia without wearing glasses or contact lenses during the day. Wearing ortho-k lenses has been shown to reduce myopia progression by an average of 50%.