Myopia means short sighted. In other words, one is able to see nearby things clearly but will have difficulty seeing things far away. In children and kids, myopia is likely to worsen from year to year with some worsening even after 6 months. The child squinting through their glasses is a sign that their vision prescription needs to be updated.
Video games, computers, ipads and phones all play a role in your child’s worsening vision. Why? The child’s brain is still developing and the body develops to conform to the environment it is in. If a child spends hours looking up close, indoors, and minutes looking far away, outdoors, the brain will emphasize maintaining great near vision by stimulating the eye to elongate resulting in worsening distance vision and thus an increase in myopia. At our Myopia Clinic we have tools that help defend and diminish this effect.
Cooper Vision, one of the leaders of contact lenses not just in the USA but also in the world, created an FDA approved daily disposable contact lens that will help with the battle against the Myopia Epidemic. MiSight lenses have duel defocus technology. These lenses per studies have shown to reduce myopia by up to 59% in children age 8-12. MiSight lenses must be worn minimum 10 hours a day and 6 days a week to be effective.
Soft contact lenses are a great option for those that want freedom from glasses and better peripheral vision. Almost all of the kids that I prescribe contact lenses for, are in a daily disposable contact lens. Although they are healthier and more comfortable, it is mainly because they are safer option for them. They also ideal during the dreaded pollen season especially if you reside nearby countless pine trees. The child simply puts on a fresh pair of contact lens and disposes it at the end of the day without the hassle of maintaining solutions or storage cases. For kids that are already wearing contact lenses, consider making the switch to MiSight. In addition to helping them achieve great vision, MiSight will also help protect their vision by slowing their sight from worsening year after year as they continue to grow and develop.
