Video - Myopia and Myopia Control

Myopia control video transcript

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition that causes blurry distance vision while near vision remains clear.

It usually begins in childhood, and often worsens throughout the school years.

In a typically sighted eye, light comes to a focus directly on the central retina in the back of the eye.

But in a nearsighted eye, the eyeball grows longer than it should be, causing light to focus in the front of the retina, which makes distance vision blurry.

Eyeglasses, contact lenses and refractive surgery can correct myopia by moving the focal point of the light back onto the retina. But there's something that's just as important as correcting myopia — slowing it down.

Over time, it's possible for myopia to progress into a more concerning problem called high myopia. People with high myopia are at a higher risk of developing serious, sight-threatening problems later in life.

Fortunately, there are contact lenses available that can slow the progression of myopia in children. Strategies used to slow myopia progression are known as myopia control.

Currently there are two types of myopia control contact lenses:

The first are called ortho-k contact lenses. These lenses are a safe and effective method for myopia control in children.

They're worn at night and work by gently reshaping the front surface of the eye while you sleep. This makes it so you won't need prescription glasses during the day.

The second type of myopia control contacts are multifocal soft lenses. These lenses are shaped like a bullseye and have two sections for focusing light.

Regular glasses and contact lenses correct myopia by focusing incoming light on the central retina.

However, because the eyeball is curved, light rays in the periphery of the retina come to a focus behind the retina. Researchers think this may increase the risk of myopia progression.

With myopia control contacts, the center of the lens focuses light directly on the central retina, which effectively corrects nearsightedness and provides clear distance vision.

But instead of focusing peripheral light rays behind the retina, myopia control contacts focus them in front of the retina. This appears to slow the progression of nearsightedness in some children.

Talk to your eye care provider about myopia control contacts and other methods to slow the progression of nearsightedness.

For more information about myopia and myopia control, visit allaboutvision.com/myopia/.

Page published on Monday, February 11, 2019

Medically reviewed on Monday, February 14, 2022