Did you know that special contact lenses and spectacles can slow the progression of Myopia (short sight) in children?
I am part of a group of specialist opticians who are working together to slow down the progression of myopia and save the sight of the future.
Myopia also known as short sight usually develops over the teenage years.
 Normal eye – the light is focused on the retina at the back of the eye. |
 Myopic eye - the light is focused before the retina as the eye has grown too long |
The most common cause is because the eyeball grows too long. This is known as the axial length. As little as 0.25mm over growth can cause myopia. This prevents the light reaching the back of the eye and symptoms of blurry vision at distant objects.
The longer the axial length grows the more the structures within the eye also become stretched thin. Prescriptions over -6.00 dioptres have significantly increased risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma, early cataracts and detached retinas.
Several studies have proven that wearing special contact lenses and spectacles can slow the stimulation of the eye to grow preventing progression of myopia.
Additional training is required to fit these special lenses and part of my role is to train other Eye Care Professionals in this type of vision correction and prevention.
