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Myopia Management in Long Island

Is Your Child Nearsighted?
Childhood myopia, also known as nearsightedness, affects your child’s ability to see at a distance. It can also increase the risk of serious eye diseases later in life. Myopia management at Diamond Vision can offer your child a clearer, brighter future.

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What You Need To Know About Myopia

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Myopia is the most common eye condition among children and young adults, also known as a refractive error. Usually, the eye directs light onto the retina, which transforms the light into electrical signals. Then, the brain receives these signals and turns them into the images we see.

With myopia, the eye elongates. This change in shape means that light focuses in front of the retina. This results in distant objects becoming blurry.

Remember, having trouble with distance vision doesn’t just mean trouble seeing very far away. For example, if your child sits at the back of the classroom, they might find it hard to read what’s on the board or see the teacher clearly.

The severity of myopia can progress gradually or rapidly, especially from ages 8 to 18. This is why myopia intervention when your child is young is so important. Intervention can help your child see more clearly with eyeglasses or contact lenses and slow down the condition’s progression.

Glasses and regular contact lenses correct vision, but don’t treat the cause of myopia or prevent it from worsening.

Why Does Myopia Need to Be Managed?

What Are The Symptoms Of Myopia?

Myopia (nearsightedness) is reaching epidemic proportions. Reasearchers expect half the world’s population to have myopia by 2050. Myopia doesn’t just affect the ability to see the front of a classroom or to read road signs until they’re close. Myopia also significantly raises the risk of developing sight-threatening eye diseases later in life, such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration.

A child’s risk of developing eye diseases closely links to the degree of their myopia. A child with a level of myopia between -0.75D and -3.00D is three times more likely to develop retinal detachment in the future. For high myopia (-5.00D), you are nine times more likely to develop retinal detachment.

Worried myopia is worsening your child’s vision? Contact us at Diamond Vision in Long Island for a consultation.

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Treatment Options For Myopia With Diamond Vision

Our eye doctor works closely with each family and customize treatment programs for every child based on their unique needs. Treatment options include glasses or contacts, prescription eye drops, or orthokeratology.

Ortho-k offers a smart contact lens option, suitable for children starting at age six. Children wear these lenses overnight, which gently and painlessly reshape their eyes during sleep. Upon waking, they remove the lenses, enjoying clear vision throughout the day.

Besides correcting nearsightedness, ortho-k also works to slow down its advancement. We evaluate our patients to determine the severity of myopia and to help select which treatment options are best. We monitor your child's eyes, with frequent follow-up visits (every six to 12 months) to track the progress of myopia. We also offer update treatment options if necessary.

Shane M. Galan OD

Shane M. Galan OD

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What Parents Are Saying About Myopia Management

How Do I Know If My Child Needs Myopia Management?

If your child struggles to see things far away, gets frequent headaches and eye strain, and often squints to see better, these are likely symptoms of myopia.

Think your child might have myopia, or just want to check on their overall eye health? Give us a call or use the link at the top of this page to book an eye exam with our team. We will assess your child’s vision and determine if they have myopia and to what degree it has progressed. From there, we will recommend treatment options tailored to their needs and lifestyle.

Writers note: I tried to use the myopia quiz on the website, but it does not appear to be functioning. After inputting the data and clicking through, it empties the form again, providing no score or assessment. I recommend removing this button or fixing the form.

Myopia Management Offers A Brighter Future | FAQ

Myopia management is a proven to slow or halt myopia progression. This will help your child see clearly and lower their risk of developing eye diseases in later life. The team at Diamond Vision has included some frequently asked questions below.

If you have more questions, book an appointment with us to get all the information you need to make an informed decision.

medical-plus medical-plus Can Myopia Lead To Blindness?

In extreme circumstances, myopia can lead to serious vision-threatening complications, including blindness. This occurs primarily in cases where high myopia has reached an advanced stage called degenerative myopia. It is important to note that it is rare for myopia to get this severe, but it underscores the importance of early detection and intervention of myopia.

medical-plus medical-plus What is Progressive Myopia?

Progressive myopia is nearsightedness that continues to worsen year after year. This may lead to severe or high myopia, which can come with potentially serious side effects. Myopia management aims to halt or slow progressive myopia.

medical-plus medical-plus Can You Cure Myopia?

Currently, there is no cure for myopia. However, myopia management methods like ortho-k, multifocal contact lenses, and atropine eye drops can slow its progression. Myopia often stabilizes in the late teens and early adult years. Intervening early can slow the progression until the eyes stabilize.

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