Myopia Awareness Week 2024

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is the inability for light to focus properly on the retina to form a clear image because the eye is too long. This can cause far away objects to appear blurry. When the eye is too long this can cause the tissue in the back of the eye to stretch and lead to significant ocular health problems. Treatments have been developed to slow the progression of myopia.

Myopia is the most significant eye health threat of the 21st Century.

Join this year’s Myopia Awareness Week, 13th – 19th May 2024, to spread the word that myopia is affecting children worldwide, but we have the treatments to slow its progression.

“The global burden of myopia is growing at an alarming rate. To tackle this public health crisis, Myopia Awareness Week is being observed worldwide, May 13-19, 2024, to raise awareness about juvenile-onset myopia and encourage eye care professionals to take necessary actions. It is crucial to spread awareness about this issue and promote early diagnosis and treatment to curb the rising prevalence of myopia.”

Dwight Akerman OD, MBA
Chief Medical Editor of Review of Myopia Management.

Here at Eyes & Optics we offer three different treatment options for myopia management including orthokeratology, peripheral defocus soft contact lenses, and atropine treatment.

Dr. Lucas Wilson provides pediatric eye care and myopia management.

Our Myopia Management Options:

Mechanical Treatment Options:

Orthokeratology

• Orthokeratology is an alternative to traditional use of correction like glasses or contacts. This system uses rigid gas permeable retainers to reshape the cornea overnight and allow our patients to conquer the day with clear vision. With orthokeratology lenses you do not have to wear glasses or contact lenses during the day.

Peripheral Defocus Soft Contact Lenses 

• This type of soft contact lens creates an area of defocus in the mid periphery of the eye. This is very similar to the effect of a multifocal contact lens and can slow the progression of myopia. These contact lenses are available in a daily disposable lens or a monthly replacement lens. 

Pharmaceutical Treatment Options:

Atropine Eye Drops

• Atropine is used as an off-label treatment for myopia. This eyedrop temporarily blocks the accommodation reflex of the eye and dilates the pupils slightly. Atropine eye drops are a simple option for myopia management as you only need to instill one drop in each eye before bed.

Myopia Increases the Risk of Serious Sight Threatening Complications

Odds Ratio of Ocular Disease as a Function of Myopia Relative to Emmetropia¹

Created by Dwight Akerman, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA Chief Medical Editor www.reviewofmm.com

References

1 Flitcroft, D. I. (2012). The complex interactions of retinal, optical and environmental factors in myopia aetiology. Progress in retinal and eye research, 31(6), 622-660.

2 Vongphanit, J., Mitchell, P., & Wang, J. J. (2002). Prevalence and progression of myopic retinopathy in an older population. Ophthalmology, 109(4), 704-711.

3 Ogawa, A., & Tanaka, M. (1988). The relationship between refractive errors and retinal detachment--analysis of 1,166 retinal detachment cases. Japanese journal of ophthalmology, 32(3), 310-315.

4 Chang, M. A., Congdon, N. G., Bykhovskaya, I., Munoz, B., & West, S. K. (2005). The association between myopia and various subtypes of lens opacity: SEE (Salisbury Eye Evaluation) project. Ophthalmology, 112(8), 1395-1401.

5 Marcus, M. W., de Vries, M. M., Montolio, F. G. J., & Jansonius, N. M. (2011). Myopia as a risk factor for open-angle glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ophthalmology, 118(10), 1989-1994.