Myopia is a progressive refractive disorder that affects distance vision. The condition can affect an individual’s quality of life and increase the risk of suffering from eye diseases. Myopia usually develops in early childhood. It progresses for several years before stabilizing in early adulthood or late teens. Myopia control treatments can help slow disease progression.
 

Myopia Progression

Myopia causes blurry vision when looking at distant objects. The condition occurs as the eyes grow too quickly or too long for normal eye growth. The rapid growth leads to the deterioration of vision. As myopia progresses, patients experience blurriness even with closer objects.
 

Myopia usually begins before a child turns ten and worsens or progresses every several months. The worsening or deterioration is known as myopia progression. Traditionally, doctors treat myopia with eyeglasses or contact lenses.
 

Myopia Management

As myopia continues to worsen, patients experience blurry vision and frequent changes in lens prescription. It also increases the risk of developing eye diseases and other vision complications. The goal of myopia management or control is to slow the progression of myopia.
 

Treatments include special eyeglasses, specialized contact lenses, Ortho-K lenses, and atropine eyedrops. Myopia management is most effective during childhood, when myopia progresses rapidly.
 

Importance of Getting Myopia Management 

People with myopia wear eyeglasses or contact lenses to improve their distance vision. In the past, those who did not want to wear corrective lenses at all times chose to get surgery. Myopia management can help reduce dependence on lenses. Having lower myopia means you do not need to wear eyeglasses or contacts all the time. A lower prescription also means you can be a better candidate for refractive eye surgery in the future.
 

Short-Term Benefits of Myopia Management

• Patients enjoy good vision during the day.

• Reduced lens strength: management means less frequent prescription changes.

• Stable vision can help improve the quality of life.

Long-term Benefits of Myopia Management 

• As myopia worsens, excessive eye growth stretches the retina, increasing the risk of eye diseases. Management can reduce the risk of developing eye diseases. Such diseases include macular degeneration, cataracts, and retinal detachment over time.

• It reduces the risk of experiencing vision impairment as an individual ages.
   

Slowing Down Myopia

Eye specialists suggest that genetics play a vital role in myopia onset and progression. Research also shows a child’s environment can increase their risk of myopia progression. How much time the child spends outdoors and their use of digital devices can affect their eye health. Increasing outdoor time can help delay myopia onset.
 

Slowing down myopia can mean that a patient ends up with a reduced final amount of myopia than without treatment. Myopia management helps to protect a patient’s eye health. The best time to begin treatment is as soon as doctors diagnose the condition.
 

Early intervention offers the best outcomes. Your eye doctor will discuss available myopia control options. Laser surgery does not correct excessive eye length, which increases the risk of developing eye diseases. It means that even after surgery, an adult can still be at high risk and require regular monitoring. Scheduling regular eye exams will help to maintain good eye health.
 

For more on the long-term benefits of myopia management, visit Beachwood Family Eye Care at our office in Beachwood, Ohio. Call (216) 815-1810 to book an appointment today.