Myopia Management

Protecting Your Child’s Vision Today & Beyond

Myopia management is about more than just getting your kid glasses or contact lenses. It’s a proactive approach to slowing the progression of their nearsightedness.

When myopia progresses unchecked, it not only increases the need for stronger prescriptions but also raises the risk of serious eye diseases later in life, like retinal detachment or glaucoma. Addressing myopia early can help safeguard your child’s vision today and protect their long-term eye health.

At Glow Optometry and Wellness, we provide a wholistic and personalized approach to myopia management, considering your child’s unique needs. Our methods are thorough, offering a range of therapeutic options designed to adapt to every child.

Book your child’s eye exam today, or give us a call with any questions.

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Does My Child Need Myopia Management?

If your child struggles to see the board at school, frequently squints to focus on distant objects, or has had multiple prescription changes in a short amount of time, they may benefit from myopia management.

These are often signs of nearsightedness (myopia) progressing. A high myopia prescription carries a higher risk of developing serious eye issues later in life.

Myopia management focuses on preserving their eyesight today while promoting healthier eyes for the future.

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How We Monitor & Manage Myopia at Glow

We can easily learn if your child is nearsighted during their yearly eye exam. If myopia runs in your family, they’re at a higher risk of it progressing as they grow.

We can do a quick, noninvasive test called axial length measurement to learn how long their eyes are. In kids who are nearsighted, their eyes grow longer as the body tries to adapt to not seeing clearly. By regularly measuring axial length, we can learn more about how their myopia is progressing or slowing.

Once we get to know your child and your family’s lifestyle, we can recommend all the options available for managing your child’s myopia.

Our myopia management approaches include:

Atropine Eye Drops: The same medicine we use in dilated eye exams can be used at a lower concentration to help control myopia progression. Atropine drops are used nightly.
Myopia Control Lenses: These specialized glasses correct your child’s vision while signaling their eyes to stop elongating to slow the progression of myopia.
Ortho-k Overnight Contacts: These hard contact lenses are worn overnight, gently and temporarily reshaping the surface of your child’s eyes and changing how light focuses in their eye. In the morning, they remove the lenses and can see clearly without glasses.
Daily Myopia Control Contacts: These disposable soft contacts correct your child’s vision while signaling to the eye that it doesn’t need to grow longer.
Combination Treatment: We may recommend using both atropine drops and myopia control glasses or contacts.

In your child’s appointment, we’ll walk through each option in detail with you to help you decide your next steps. We’re here to answer all your questions along the way.

How You Can Support Your Child’s Healthy Vision at Home

You can play an active role in protecting your child’s vision by making small but meaningful changes to their daily routine.

Outdoor Time

Studies show that spending more time outside can help delay the onset of myopia, so encourage outdoor play whenever possible. According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, adding an extra hour of outdoor time daily might drastically reduce the occurrence of myopia in kids.

Study Near a Window

Of course, spending lots of time outdoors year-round is not always feasible, especially when our winters are dark and frigid. When indoors, set up your child’s homework station near a window to expose their eyes to natural light if you can.

Take Breaks

Teach them the 20-20-20 rule—every 20 minutes, encourage them to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds and blink 20 times to help their eyes relax and stay hydrated.

Working Distance

Do your best to help them keep a comfortable working distance from books or screens, and if possible, avoid using cubicle-style desks. A more open environment allows their eyes to focus on farther objects.

The more opportunities they have to look into the distance throughout the day, the better for their developing vision! These simple habits can make a big difference in maintaining your child’s healthy eyesight.

Book Your Child’s Eye Exam in Edmonton

Regular eye exams are key to catching and managing myopia early.

At Glow Optometry and Wellness, we offer personalized myopia management to slow its progression and support your child’s long-term eye health. Take the first step toward your child’s healthier vision by booking their eye exam today.

Book Appointment