At the age of
6-12 mths
at least once
Between
3-5 y.o.
at least once
5-18 y.o.
annualy
845 Foothill Blvd La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
info@perceptionoptometry.com
Myopia Management Services in La Cañada
Discover the latest advancements in myopia management and safeguard your eyesight with our comprehensive solutions. At Perception Optometry La Cañada, we specialize in innovative treatments that not only correct nearsightedness but also aim to slow its progression.
What is myopia of the eye?
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is an eye condition where one has blurry vision when looking far away but can see at near. When your eye is myopic, its length is longer than average and light doesn’t focus at the right spot resulting in blurred vision. Glasses and contact lenses correct vision by bringing light ray right to your retina resulting in a clear image.
Nowadays more and more children are becoming nearsighted. It is estimated that by 2050 nearly 5 billion people will be nearsighted globally. Myopia may progress when you are older but it primarily progresses during childhood and adolescence.
But why is prevention of myopic progression so important?
High myopia can lead to a number of complications including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and maculopathy leading to irreversible blindness.
Identifying Myopia Through Comprehensive Eye Examinations
Myopia is typically detected during a detailed eye examination, which includes the following assessments:
Visual Acuity Test: In this test, you’ll be asked to read letters from a chart positioned at a distance to evaluate your visual sharpness.
Retinoscopy: This method involves using a retinoscope to project light into your eyes and observing the light reflection from your retina to measure refractive errors objectively.
Refraction: refraction is a clinical technique used to diagnose myopia (nearsightedness) and monitor its progression. This technique involves temporarily paralyzing the eye’s focusing muscles with special eye drops. By doing so, it measures the eye’s refractive error (how light is bent as it enters the eye) without the influence of the eye’s natural focusing ability.
A-scan: This technique uses high-frequency sound waves to measure the axial length of the eye (the distance from the front to the back of the eye). The measurement is crucial because an elongated eye is a common feature of myopia. By accurately measuring the axial length, eye care professionals can assess the severity of myopia and monitor its progression over time.
- 👁️ Switching focus between near and far distances, important for activities like driving.
- 👁️ Maintaining clear vision over prolonged periods, which is essential for reading or computer work.
Should myopia be diagnosed, we will provide you with a prescription for corrective lenses, either eyeglasses or contact lenses, to improve your vision.
Can myopia cause serious eye problems?
Even with the right glasses or contacts, people with myopia, or nearsightedness, are at a higher risk for some serious eye problems. This is especially true for those with severe myopia. Here are some of the eye conditions more commonly found in people with severe nearsightedness:
👁️ Glaucoma
This eye condition, which affects the optic nerve, is about 50% more likely in people with moderate to severe myopia than in those with mild nearsightedness.
👁️ Cataracts
Those with severe myopia are more likely to need cataract surgery compared to those with less severe myopia. Cataracts cause the lens of your eye to become cloudy.
👁️ Retinal Detachment
People with severe myopia are much more likely to experience this condition, where the lining at the back of your eye (the retina) pulls away from the layer of blood vessels that provides it with oxygen and nutrients. This is because their eyes are longer, stretching the retina and making it thin and fragile.
Myopic Maculopathy: Severe nearsightedness can lead to changes in the central area of the retina (the macula), affecting vision.
Regular eye exams are crucial as they help monitor your eye health, potentially catching these conditions early when they are easier to treat. Managing your myopia can also help reduce these risks.
Other Myopia Management Solutions
MiSight Contact Lenses
MiSight contact lenses are daily disposable soft lenses specifically designed to slow down the progression of myopia in children.
These lenses have a unique design where the central part corrects the refractive error, similar to regular corrective lenses. However, the peripheral part contains specially designed concentric rings that direct light to focus on the retina. This feature helps to significantly reduce the stimuli that cause the eye to elongate.
Atropine Drops
Atropine eye drops are used to control myopia in children and teenagers, helping to slow the progression of nearsightedness. These drops are available in various concentrations and have proven to be more effective than standard single-vision spectacles and contact lenses for this purpose.
The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams
16-64 y.o.
every 2 years
unless at risk for certain eye diseases.
65+ y.o.
annualy