WHAT IS MYOPIA?

Myopia is a progressive visual disorder that results in poor distance vision. If the myopia is severe, it will impair near vision as well. Myopia is also known as “near-sighted” or “short-sighted.” In addition to weakening vision, it also changes the physical structure of the eye. These changes increase the risk of future eye. It is one of the leading causes of blindness around the world and has a direct association with retinal detachments and glaucoma.

HEALTH ISSUES: THE MYOPIA EPIDEMIC

Myopia definitely has a genetic link. However it is driven more by the environmental stress of near work such as reading, studying, computer use, hand games and the lack of outdoor time. In fact, one theory of increasing myopia is that it is our eye’s method of adapting to the demand of prolonged near work. It takes less work for a myopic person to read. That’s why we call it “near-sighted”. Humans before the Industrial Revolution used their eyes predominantly for distance seeing. During that period, the incidence of myopia was less than five percent. In a recent study, researchers found that myopia has increased 66 percent in the United States from 1971 to 2004.

• The National Institutes of Health reports that in 1972, the frequency of myopia was 25% in U.S. individuals aged 12 to 54. By 2004, it had increased to 41.6%. (Roan,2010).

• In 2004 approximately 26% of all people living in the U.S. and Europe were myopic.

• The incidence of myopia in “hunter-gatherer” societies where children perform little near work is about 1%.

ORTHOKERATOLOGY

Studies from around the world have indicated that Orthokeratology can decrease the progression of myopia.

It is a non-surgical & reversible procedure that also eliminates the need for glasses or daytime contact lenses.

Your child is an especially good candidate if they have a tendency to lose or abuse their contact lenses/glasses, or if wearing them interferes with their active life.  It improves vision by gently reshaping the eyes during sleep using specially designed therapeutic contact lenses. Specially fitted lenses are worn overnight and upon awakening, the patient will have clear vision for waking hours.