Have you noticed your child sitting closer to the television screen or mentioning that they can’t see their teacher’s writing on the board at school? Do they squint quite often?
All these signs may point to an uncorrected refractive error and can quite often be resolved with a pair of prescription lenses, whether it be glasses or contacts. My fellow colleague, Dr. Oliver Chong, has brilliantly summarized the importance of children’s eye exams in another article.
As children grow, it is very common for the anatomy of their eye to rapidly change. Visual systems, especially at a young age, can change every few months.
Myopia is a condition when the shape of your eye causes light to refract and focus in front of the retina. This ultimately causes distant images to be out of focus. Another word for myopia is simply put, nearsightedness.
According to one research team, half the world’s population could become myopic by 2050. Myopia progression is not only a concern in patients who already have a high minus prescription; it is a concern even in lower levels of myopia. If large shifts are noted in children within a short period of time, myopia control therapies should be considered as early intervention is key.
With higher levels of myopia there is an increased risk for other vision threatening eye conditions. For those parents who already have a high amount of myopic prescription they already know the troubles that a high minus prescription can have on vision and on overall quality of life. Thus, it is very important to monitor how a child’s visual system changes on an annual basis.
MiYOSMART eyewear lenses is what you would call a non-invasive treatment option – it’s a spectacles lens. It is one of the key reasons of why we chose to offer it to our patients at Della Optique. Other myopia control intervention options such as atropine eye drop therapy, orthokeratology, and multifocal soft contact lenses are considered more invasive in nature. From an external viewpoint, MiYOSMART lenses look just like a regular pair of glasses. However, the unique technology that is embedded within these special lenses can slow myopia progression by an average of 60%, a two-year randomized clinical trial has shown.
My name is Dr. Bosung Kim and I am an optometrist at Della Optique located in Kitsilano. All of our doctors of optometry here at Della Optique create fun eye exam experiences for your children while providing thorough eye examinations.
Be sure to check out my blog post for more a more comprehensive overview on MiYOSMART lenses and for more resources related to eye health. We enjoy seeing patients of all ages and we look forward to seeing you for your next eye exam.
Please don’t hesitate to email me at info@dellaoptique.com or call 604-742-3937 if you have any questions.
Are you a Kits local with domain knowledge you would like to share? Get in touch.
Last modified: March 28, 2021
