Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a condition where distant objects appear blurry. In children and teens, myopia usually progresses as the eyes continue to grow longer than normal.

As myopia increases, it is linked to a higher lifetime risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, myopic macular degeneration, and early cataracts. Slowing progression helps protect long-term eye health—not just vision today.

Myopia management is a proactive approach focused on slowing how quickly myopia progresses while a child’s eyes are still growing. The goal is to reduce future eye-health risks, not just correct blurry vision.

Regular glasses correct vision but do not slow eye growth. Myopia management uses evidence-based treatment methods designed to reduce the rate of progression, helping protect eye health over time.

No. Myopia management does not eliminate myopia, but it can significantly slow progression. The goal is to reduce how high a child’s prescription becomes over time.

es. The treatment methods we use are supported by extensive research and are widely used worldwide. Safety and long-term eye health are always our top priorities.

Myopia management can begin very early—even in young children—if eye growth patterns show increased risk. Early intervention often provides the greatest long-term benefit.

Myopia management typically continues through the years when a child’s eyes are still growing. The exact duration varies from child to child.

Most children experience a meaningful slowing of myopia progression, but individual responses vary. Ongoing monitoring allows adjustments to improve outcomes when needed.

Treatment decisions are based on multiple factors, including age, current prescription, rate of progression, eye growth measurements, family history, and lifestyle considerations such as sports and screen time.

Success is measured by monitoring changes in prescription and, more importantly, eye growth over time. Slower eye growth indicates effective myopia control.

Yes. As a child grows, their eyes and visual needs change. Treatment may be adjusted over time based on how the eyes respond and how growth patterns evolve.

If we recommend treatment, there are several evidence-based options that may be considered. These include overnight orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses that are worn during sleep and gently reshape the cornea so the child can see clearly during the day without glasses or contact lenses; daily disposable soft contact lenses designed for myopia control such as MiSight and NaturalVue MF; specialty myopia-control eyeglass lenses such as Essilor Stellest and Hoya MiYOSMART; low-dose atropine eye drops; or combination therapy. The most appropriate approach depends on a child’s age, prescription, eye growth pattern, and lifestyle.

Specialty myopia-control contact lenses are designed to correct vision in the center of the lens while also changing how light focuses on the peripheral retina (the outer part of the eye). Traditional lenses can create hyperopic defocus, where light focuses behind the peripheral retina, which may signal the eye to keep growing longer. Myopia-control lenses instead create myopic defocus, where light focuses in front of the peripheral retina. This sends a signal that helps slow excessive eye growth while still providing clear central vision.

Specialty myopia-control glasses are designed to do more than correct vision. They use advanced lens technologies to change how light focuses across the retina in a way that helps slow excessive eye growth.

Some lenses use DIMS (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments) technology, which places many small treatment zones within the lens that create myopic defocus around the central area of clear vision. Other lenses use a lenslet-based or highly aspherical design, which also creates myopic defocus using a different optical pattern. Both approaches aim to send a signal that helps reduce continued eye elongation while allowing clear, functional vision for everyday activities.

Low-dose prescription eye drops can help slow eye growth in some children, particularly those who are at risk for developing myopia or whose myopia is progressing rapidly. Drops may be used alone or in combination with other treatments.

Combination therapy means using one optical myopia-control method (such as ortho-k, myopia-control contact lenses, or myopia-control glasses) together with low-dose atropine eye drops. This approach may be considered when additional slowing of eye growth is needed beyond what an optical treatment alone can provide.