Myopia Control in Rolla

Preserving Your Child’s Clear Vision

If you’ve already visited our Children’s Eye Exams page, you probably have a good idea of symptoms to watch for if your child is developing a vision problem. One of the most common vision problems children develop is myopia, also known as nearsightedness.

With the help of modern diagnostic practices and our holistic, compassionate approach to your child’s eye health, we can develop strategies for managing your child’s myopia and preserving their clear vision.

All you need to do is book an appointment, and our team can help with the rest.

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How
Myopia Develops

Myopia is a refractive error affecting your child’s distance vision, meaning that far away objects can appear blurry.

The issue occurs when the eye grows too long or the cornea becomes too steep, which prevents light from focusing on your child’s retina. When light doesn’t reach the retina, it could signal the eye to grow longer and progress their symptoms.

Myopia often develops in school-aged children, but it can progress well into adulthood. High myopia can also increase the risk of permanent vision problems, making it one of the most important issues we look for during your child’s eye exam.

Controlling Your Child’s Myopia

Myopia is among the most prevalent refractive errors across the country, currently affecting around 30% of children. Some studies suggest that almost half of the world may have myopia symptoms by 2050.

Because of how widespread the issue is, plenty of research is available on how it develops and, more importantly, how doctors can help control it.

We offer a few different ways to control your child’s myopia, and you can start the process today by booking an eye exam.

Atropine Eye Drops

Studies show that regularly using low-dose atropine eye drops can help slow the rate of myopia progression by half.

Atropine eye drops are commonly used to dilate the pupil for eye exams, but they can also slow axial elongation—which is common in myopia development.

Bifocal & Multifocal Lenses

Multifocal and bifocal contacts are a common myopia control strategy, supported by numerous studies and research.

These lenses can slow myopia with a technique called peripheral defocus. While the center of the lens focuses light right on your child’s retina, it also focuses peripheral light just in front of the retina. Focusing peripheral light in this way sends a signal to the eye that slows down axial elongation, sometimes up to 43%.