Myopia Management
Myopia Management
In the UK, there are now four options to help with myopia management in children and young adults.
These are:
- Specialist myopia control spectacle lenses
- Myopia control daily multifocal contact lenses
- Overnight Ortho K contact lenses.
- Low dose atropine drops (Ryjunea)
We provide all four options at our practice. We discuss the matter with the parent / carer and can collectively decide which option may be most appropriate for the individual child.
Myopia Control Spectacle lenses
We use the award winning Miyosmart spectacle lenses for the patient wanting a myopia control spectacle correction.
For more information on these lenses please click here
We provide a low direct debit fee structure so that, unlike other opticians, we can provide a six monthly eye test (not available on the NHS) as required by the lens manufacturer as well as covering a higher level of dispensing attention to cover any necessary fitting / adjustments to ensure the required optimum fit. This enables us to pick up and correct any myopia progression sooner and ensure continued and more effective treatment. Please contact us for more information including the current costs.
Myopia Control Contact Lenses
We use Coopervision's MiSight myopia control lenses for the patient wanting a contact lens correction. Children are often very adept at contact lens management and research has shown that 9 in 10 children preferred contact lenses as a correction option above glasses.
For more information on these lenses please click here
These daily disposable lenses are required to be worn a minimum of 6 days per week for them to be effective. Consequently we provide a complete direct debit structure to cover all the lenses and regular aftercares needed for this option. Please contact us for more information including the current costs.
Ortho K contact lenses
This was once considered the gold standard of myopia control, prior to atropine coming on to the market, and involves sleeping in a rigid gas permeable lens overnight. This then provides clear uninterrupted vision all throughout the day with the need for any other vision correction.
For more information on these lenses please click here
Low Dose Atropine - Ryjunea
Regular Atropine eye drops which recent studies have shown some real promise in myopia control is now available. Our prescribing optometrist James is prescribing this currently to our patients in Barnoldswick. For more information on this from the College of Optometrists please click here.
How is progression / its effectiveness monitored?
Traditionally the effectiveness of the treatment is monitored by the degree of myopic refractive error - the prescription. However this can be variable and the gold standard of progression measurement, and the one used by the academic studies in research, is by measuring the axial length of the eye. As the eye becomes more myopic it is actually increasing in length by very small amounts. We have the facility to measure this and thereby plotting its growth curve, showing the effectiveness of treatment and also informing us as to a potential time when treatment can be stopped.
There is a small fee for this service, which is discounted for those on one of our treatment plans.
Which is the most effective?
Comparing studies between myopia management is always difficult and a little unreliable but all correction options offer between 40-60% on average reduction in myopia progression, with the new Ryjunea low dose atropjine eye drops generally regarded as the gold standard for effectiveness but the other options are not far behind. The best option for the child is an individual decision and done after careful consideration and discussion with the optometrist which we are able to provide.