Orange Beach, AL
Ortho-K for Myopia Management
Orange BEACH, AL
Ortho-K for Myopia Management
Myopia is on the rise around the world, especially among children. Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a vision problem where close-up objects appear clear while those at a distance look blurry. This happens because the eye grows too long from back to front, or the cornea is too curved. Myopia tends to worsen over time, meaning your child will need stronger prescriptions as they grow. While eyeglasses improve their vision, they won’t address the root causes of myopia.
At Coastal Family Eyecare, we offer myopia management in Orange Beach to help slow its progression and protect your child’s eye health for years to come. With years of experience and specialized training in myopia management, our eye doctor, Dr. Wilder, provides highly effective treatment options backed by the latest research.
One of our most effective treatments is orthokeratology (ortho-k), which not only corrects vision overnight but also helps slow down the progression of myopia. Studies have shown that ortho-k can significantly reduce the rate of myopia progression in children. In a five-year study of children (aged 8-12 years) fitted with ortho-k lenses, the progression of myopia was almost halved compared to children wearing single-vision glasses. With ortho-k, your child can enjoy clear vision during the day without the need for glasses or regular contact lenses, while also taking proactive steps to safeguard their long-term eye health. Dr. Wilder and our team will tailor your child’s treatment to fit their age, lifestyle, and vision needs, ensuring they receive the best possible care.
Causes of myopia
The exact cause of myopia is unknown, but it may be hereditary. If one or both parents are nearsighted, their children have a higher likelihood of developing myopia as well. However, genetics alone does not determine whether a person will develop myopia; environmental factors also play a significant role. Spending excessive time on close-up activities, such as reading, writing, or using digital devices, can increase the risk of developing myopia. Lack of outdoor activity is another factor linked to myopia development. Research suggests that children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to develop myopia.
Why is myopia management important?
Good vision is essential for a child’s learning and development. Poor eyesight can make it hard for children to see clearly in school, leading to difficulties with reading, writing, and comprehension. This not only affects their academic performance but can also impact their social development, sometimes resulting in misdiagnoses of behavioral issues.
Myopia can also impact language and speech development. Clear vision is crucial for observing facial expressions and watching lips move, both of which are important for learning how to speak. When a child struggles to see clearly, it can delay their ability to develop these critical skills.
Slowing myopia progression is important because high levels of myopia can lead to more serious eye conditions later in life. The higher the degree of myopia, the greater the risk of developing complications such as retinal detachment, cataracts, and open-angle glaucoma. By managing myopia early, we can reduce these risks and help protect long-term vision health.
How we help manage myopia
Myopia management is about more than correcting eyesight—it’s about slowing down the progression of myopia to help safeguard long-term eye health. Dr. Wilder and our team are here to support your child every step of the way, using the most advanced solutions available.
With Dr. Wilder’s expertise in myopia management, Coastal Family Eyecare offers proven treatment options that are customized to meet each child’s unique vision needs.
Ortho-k
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses are specially designed, customized contact lenses that your child wears overnight. These lenses gently reshape the cornea while they sleep, providing clear vision throughout the day without the need for glasses or regular contact lenses.
Ortho-k does more than just provide clear vision; it helps slow down the elongation of the eye, which is the primary cause of myopia progression. By slowing this growth, ortho-k lenses help reduce the overall severity of myopia as your child grows. This can significantly decrease their risk of developing myopia-related complications later in life, such as retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma.
Multifocal contact lenses
Multifocal soft contact lenses are another proven option for controlling myopia. These specially designed lenses correct vision at multiple distances, allowing the eyes to focus on both near and distant objects. This unique design helps slow down the elongation of the eye—one of the main reasons myopia worsens over time.
Studies show that using multifocal contact lenses can reduce myopia progression by around 30% per year in children aged 8-12. By slowing the rate at which myopia progresses, these lenses help protect kids from developing high myopia as they grow, lowering their risk of serious eye problems later on.
Visit us for myopia management in Orange Beach
It’s important to manage your child’s myopia as early as possible to enhance their overall eye health and quality of life. Ortho-k offers a promising solution by significantly slowing the progression of myopia. At Coastal Family Eyecare, we conduct thorough evaluations to ensure that ortho-k is suitable for your child’s eye health and vision needs. With Dr. Wilder’s expertise and dedication, our practice is a trusted choice for myopia management in Orange Beach. If you’re worried about your child’s myopia, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us today to explore the benefits of ortho-k and other effective treatments.