Myopia is one of the many conditions that affect the eyes and vision. About 1 in 2 people experiences some form of myopia. It’s also becoming more prevalent in children.
Unfortunately, we can’t reverse myopia, but we have advanced treatments to keep it from worsening. At Family Eyecare of Linden, our experienced optometrists provide eye exams, contact lenses and eyeglasses, and orthokeratology to help children and adults control myopia.
Myopia occurs when the eye is elongated from front to back, or the cornea is deeply curved. This causes distant objects to look blurry.
An irregularly shaped eye or cornea causes light rays to focus at the front of the retina rather than throughout. It causes vision issues such as:
It’s unknown exactly how myopia develops, but researchers believe genetic and environmental components play a role. For example, children are at a higher risk when they spend a lot of time on screens, either reading or playing on phones and tablets.
Note: In addition to visual distortions, high myopia exceeding -5.00D significantly increases the risk of serious ocular conditions, including retinal disease, glaucoma, and cataracts.
The good news is we can slow the progress of myopia significantly with advanced treatments to prevent complications later on.
There are several ways to slow myopia in children, but our four proven options include:
Ortho-k is an excellent and proven option for kids and teens with myopia. Your child wears rigid contact lenses at night when asleep. These lenses reshape the cornea, and the result lasts throughout the next day. However, the cornea reverts to the original shape in the evening, meaning consistency is key to this treatment. Your child won’t need corrective lenses during the day as long as they continue ortho-k treatment.
MiSight soft contact lenses are worn daily and designed specifically for child myopia control, helping to slow down progression while offering age-appropriate convenience.
Effective October 2025, Stellest spectacle correction lenses provide an advanced, non-invasive optical option to manage and slow myopia progression in children.
Low-dose atropine eye drops are typically used as a last resort to slow myopia progression by temporarily reducing the eye’s auto-focus mechanism.
Our treatments are highly effective in controlling myopia, but you can do other things to slow its progress. To start, encourage your child to spend more time outside; being outdoors is a great way to avoid vision problems.
Limiting screen time and reading tasks reduces eye strain and keeps vision problems from advancing. It’s also important that you bring your child in for regular vision exams.
To discuss myopia control for your child, schedule an appointment today by calling Family Eyecare of Linden or requesting one online. We proudly serve areas including Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Colonia, Scotch Plains, and Linden, New Jersey.
