If your child has myopia, also called short-sightedness, there are several ways to slow it down. Some have been used for decades and others are newer.
One option is low-dose eye drops, used alongside glasses or contact lenses.
What is Myopia?
Before treatments begin, it is good to educate yourself about myopia. The eye disorder known as myopia occurs because the eyes grow too quickly and excessively beyond the average rate of eye growth. The eyes should continue to grow steadily throughout childhood and stabilise during the teenage years. However, in myopia, rapid growth leads to continual deterioration of vision. Additionally, the stabilisation of eye growth does not occur. For those with myopia, growth continues through the teenage years and even in early adulthood. This ongoing deterioration is called myopia progression.
The hallmark of myopia is blurred vision when looking at faraway objects. Unfortunately, as myopia increases, blurred vision occurs at arm’s length or closer. Spectacles or single-vision contact lenses can help to correct vision but offer no help in slowing the disorder’s progression.
Because of the potential for visual impairment and long-term eye disease, the World Health Organisation now lists myopia as a global health concern.
Help to Control Myopia
Without myopia control, vision can keep getting worse, which means frequent prescription changes and a higher risk of eye disease later in life.
There are several ways to control myopia, with varying degrees of success. Myopia control spectacle lenses and contact lenses can help, and low-dose eye drops are another option your optometrist may talk to you about.
How Do the Eye Drops Work?
The drops used for myopia are a much lower strength than eye drops used for other purposes in the past. At this low strength they are thought to slow the growth of the eye, with fewer side effects such as light sensitivity.
Researchers are still working out exactly how the drops work.
Eye Drops for Children
Every child responds differently. The drops are often combined with ortho-k, which are contact lenses worn overnight to gently reshape the front of the eye, or with myopia control spectacle lenses.
Your child will still need glasses or contact lenses to see clearly. The drops aim to slow myopia, but they do not correct vision.
Eye Drops for Teens
Teens are usually more aware of small changes in their vision, which makes problems easier to report than with younger children. A teenager may also find it easier to stick with eye drops.
Studies show that about half of all children with myopia stabilise by age 16. The other half can keep changing after 16, so teens still need regular eye tests.
Most of the research on the drops involves younger children, partly because myopia often settles by 15 or 16. As with younger children, teens still need glasses or contact lenses for clear vision, and the same advice about two hours outdoors and less screen time applies.
Who Are the Drops Suitable For?
Whether the drops suit your child depends on their age, how quickly their myopia is changing and their general health. Your optometrist will talk you through the options at your child’s eye test, including lenses that can be used instead of, or as well as, drops.
How Does Controlling Myopia Help Young People?
Children and teens with well-controlled myopia have fewer prescription changes in the short term, and less deterioration than children whose myopia is not managed.
Higher myopia raises the risk of these problems later in life, so keeping it lower may reduce that risk:
- Macular degeneration
- Cataracts
- Detached retinas
- Life-long visual impairment
Other Factors Influencing Risks of Myopia
Environmental factors can affect the chance of myopia. To lower the risk, encourage your child to spend about two hours a day outside.
Try to limit screen time and teach children to keep more space between themselves and screens. Less screen time and close work can help.
At E Eye Place we see children of all ages, and we encourage regular eye tests, especially for children who show signs of vision problems. Book an eye test to talk about myopia control for your child.
Feel free to contact us to make an appointment for your next eye examination.
Written by
Stephanie Yeo
Owner and senior clinical optometrist. In optometry since 2003, with particular interests in children's vision and community eye care.
