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Myopia Management: How Can We Slow the Progression of Myopia?

Myopia (nearsightedness) is increasing and is expected to affect 3.36 billion people worldwide by 2030, according to the World Health Organization. More than just a minor convenience, myopia increases the risk of several potentially serious vision conditions, including macular degeneration and glaucoma. Fortunately, optometrists offer several myopia management treatments and strategies that may slow the progression of myopia in children and adults.

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What Causes Myopia?

Myopia affects your distance vision. Although objects close by look clear, things in the distance are blurry. Nearsightedness can happen when the cornea curves too much or you have an elongated eye. Light focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it if your eyeball is too long, causing blurry vision. The light-sensing retina converts light to electrical signals the brain needs to produce images.

You may be more likely to develop myopia if one or both of your parents are nearsighted. Lack of outdoor time, digital screen usage, and spending a long time on near work can increase the risk of myopia.

Managing Myopia

Although myopia can’t be reversed, its progression can be slowed, reducing the risk for several eye diseases. According to guidelines for myopia management published in Modern Optometry in 2022, reducing myopia by 1.00 diopter can reduce open-angle glaucoma and visual impairment by 20% and myopic macular degeneration, a condition that affects central vision, by 40%. Diopters are the units of measurement used to calculate eyeglass and contact lens prescriptions.

Although myopia treatment most often begins in childhood, it can also be useful for adults who are concerned about worsening nearsightedness. Treatment options include:

  • Orthokeratology. Orthokeratology, or ortho-K, contact lenses change the shape of the cornea. The cornea, along with the lens inside the eye, bends light rays onto the retina. Wearing these contact lenses overnight flattens the cornea, ensuring that light rays focus on the retina instead of in front of it. The lenses take a few weeks to work and must be worn every night for best results.
  • Multifocal Contact Lenses. Single-focus lenses provide sharp vision at near or far distances, depending on the prescription. Multifocal contact lenses offer good vision at all distances by including several focusing powers in one lens. The central part of a multifocal lens sharpens near vision, allowing you to read and do close work. Circular bands on the outer edges of the lenses provide good vision at medium and far distances.
  • Peripheral Defocus Contact Lenses. The center portion of peripheral defocus contact lenses provides sharp vision, just like multifocal contact lenses. However, the outer bands of the contact lens blurs (defocuses) side vision. Blurring side vision could slow growth of the eye and progression of myopia.
  • Atropine Eye Drops. Atropine eye drops offer another way to slow myopia progression. The drops are placed in the eyes before bed and work by relaxing the ciliary muscles. These tiny muscles control pupil size and change the shape of the eye’s lens when you focus. According to a clinical trial published in JAMA Ophthalmology in 2023, 0.01% atropine drops slowed the elongation of the eyeball and progression of nearsightedness over a three-year period. Children aged 3 to 16 participated in the research project.
  • Lifestyle Changes. Taking frequent breaks when reading or using digital devices can be helpful in slowing the progression of myopia. Increasing outdoor time during childhood reduced the risk of myopia in young adulthood, according to a research study published in Scientific Reports in 2021.

Wondering if these methods could help you manage your myopia? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the optometrist.

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