Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that causes distant objects to appear blurry. This is generally the result of the eyeball becoming elongated and instead of light focusing on the retina at the back of the eye, it focuses in front of it.
Moving closer to objects or holding them close to their face
Squinting or closing one eye while reading
Not being aware of objects or people in the distance
Complaining of headaches or eye strain
Prevalence
There is growing concern about the myopia epidemic that is estimated to affect almost 50% of the world’s population (close to 5 billion people) by the year 20501. This is generally attributed to our increasingly screen-dependent lifestyle as people spend more time on digital devices and reduce their hours spent outdoors.
Eye Health Complications
As a result of the gradual elongation of the eyeball, myopia is linked to a heightened susceptibility to eye-related complications and vision impairment. Research has demonstrated that with each 1 diopter increase in myopia, the likelihood of developing myopic maculopathy increases by 67%, while the risk of cataracts rises by 27%, and the risk of open-angle glaucoma by 19%2.
Lifestyle Implications
Uncorrected myopia can affect an individual’s education and occupational opportunities. Children with uncorrected myopia can face challenges with learning as they struggle to see the board or read materials from a distance. Poor eyesight can also limit career choices as certain occupations, such as those in aviation and commercial driving, require good vision.
Myopia control refers to methods that aim to slow down the progression of myopia. All levels of myopia carry an increased risk of eye related diseases. By implementing myopia control strategies early on, we can help reduce this risk and ensure that your child's eyes remain healthy in the long run. However, it is important to note that there is no treatment that can completely halt the progression of myopia, only slow it down.
Depending on the results of your myopia eye test, we take into account your prescription, vision and other eye health factors and discuss the most suitable treatment for you. We utilise ocular biometry to measure your eyeball’s axial length. This is the gold standard in measuring myopia progression over the course of treatment and gives an indication on how effective the treatment is.
We offer a full range of myopia management options that are evidence-based:
Orthokeratology
MiSight soft contact lenses
Myopia control spectacle lenses: Miyosmart and Stellest
Atropine eye drops
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) are specially designed rigid gas permeable lenses that are worn overnight. The lenses gently reshape the cornea (front surface of the eye) while you sleep, resulting in clear vision during the day without the need of glasses or contact lenses.
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MiSight contact lenses by Coopervision use ActivControl Technology. They are the first soft disposable contact lenses that have proven to reduce the progression of myopia in children by up to 59%3. They are a great option for children with an active lifestyle!
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Myopia control spectacle lenses such as Hoya’s Miyosmart and Essilor’s Stellest have proven to slow down myopia progression by 60-67%4 5. Benefits of glasses are that they're non-invasive and the lenses are made of an impact-resistant material that provides UV protection, making it safe for active kids.
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Low-dose atropine eye drops are a favourable option of myopia control in younger children and are often prescribed alongside glasses wear.
Learn more1 Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, Jong M, Naidoo KS, Sankaridurg P, Wong TY, Naduvilath TJ, Resnikoff S. (2016). Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology, 123(5), 1036-1042.
2 Wong YL, Sabanayagam C, Ding Y, et al. (2016). Association of Axial Length With Risk of Uncorrectable Visual Impairment for Europeans With Myopia. Ophthalmology, 123(3), 655-656. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2015.10.007.
3 Chamberlain, P., et al. (2019). A 3-Year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight® Lenses for Myopia Control. Optometry and Vision Science, 96(8), 556-557.
4 Lam CSY, Tang WC, Tse DY, Lee RPK, Chun RKM, Hasegawa K, Qi H, Hatanaka T, To CH. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomized clinical trial. British Journal of Ophthalmology. Published Online First: 29 May 2019. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313739.
5 Bao, J., et al. (2021). One-year myopia control efficacy of spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets. British Journal of Ophthalmology. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-318367.
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