If your child’s nearsightedness continues to worsen, updating their glasses is not the only option.
Pacific Eye Care Doctors of Optometry offers myopia management to help slow the progression of nearsightedness as children grow, with treatment and monitoring tailored to their individual needs.
Myopia, or nearsightedness, causes distant objects to appear blurry. It often begins during childhood and can continue progressing while the eyes are growing.
Higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased lifetime risk of certain eye conditions, including retinal problems, glaucoma, and myopic macular changes.
Myopia management focuses on slowing that progression while providing the clear vision your child needs today.
Myopia management is an ongoing approach designed to help slow the progression of nearsightedness in children and teens.
At Pacific Eye Care Doctors of Optometry, we evaluate your child’s prescription, eye health, vision needs, and other relevant factors before recommending an appropriate management option. Regular follow-up visits allow us to monitor changes as your child grows.
Children do not always realize their distance vision has changed. Signs of myopia may include:
If you have noticed changes in your child’s vision, a comprehensive eye exam can determine whether myopia is present and how it is progressing.
Myopia changes more than a glasses prescription. As the eye grows longer, higher levels of myopia are associated with greater risks to eye health later in life.
This is one reason regular monitoring matters. Tracking your child’s vision over time allows our optometrists to identify progression and discuss whether myopia management may be appropriate.
The goal of myopia management is to help slow how quickly nearsightedness progresses. Treatment does not eliminate myopia, and children will still need appropriate vision correction.
Depending on your child’s age, prescription, eye health, and individual needs, management may include options such as specialty contact lenses, orthokeratology (Ortho-K), or other evidence-based approaches offered by our practice.
Regular follow-up is an important part of treatment. We monitor how your child’s eyes change and adjust the management plan when appropriate.
Not every child with nearsightedness needs the same approach. Myopia management may be worth discussing if your child’s prescription continues to increase or if they developed myopia at a younger age.
At Pacific Eye Care Doctors of Optometry, we evaluate your child’s vision, prescription history, eye health, and individual risk factors to determine whether myopia management may be appropriate.
Myopia management is an ongoing program rather than a one-time treatment.
We begin with a detailed evaluation of your child’s vision, prescription history, eye health, and relevant lifestyle factors. If treatment is appropriate, we explain the available options and recommend an approach based on your child’s individual needs.
Follow-up visits allow us to monitor changes and determine whether adjustments are needed over time.
Several factors can influence whether a child develops myopia and how it progresses.
Having parents who are also nearsighted increases risk.
Developing myopia before 12 years old significantly increases risk of severe myopia.
Spending too much time on digital screens and reading books can strain the eyes, increasing risk of nearsightedness.
Myopia commonly develops during the school years and may continue progressing while a child’s eyes are growing.
Regular eye exams help us identify changes in your child’s prescription and monitor how their vision develops over time.
Earlier evaluation can be valuable when a child develops myopia or their prescription is progressing.
There is no single starting age that is appropriate for every child. Our optometrists consider age, prescription changes, eye health, and other factors before recommending treatment.
No. Myopia management does not cure nearsightedness or guarantee that progression will stop.
The goal is to help slow progression while providing appropriate vision correction and monitoring your child’s eye health as they grow.
Most children will still need vision correction. Depending on the management approach, this may involve glasses, specialty contact lenses, or other options recommended by their optometrist.
Myopia management often continues for several years while a child’s eyes are still growing and their prescription is changing.
Regular follow-up allows us to monitor progression and determine when changes to the management plan may be appropriate.
Protect your child’s long-term vision and eye health. Contact our Huntington Beach optometry team about myopia management at Pacific Eye Care Doctors of Optometry today!