30% OF CANADIANS HAVE MYOPIA

That’s right; researchers believe that myopia (nearsightedness) affects 30% of Canadians. And these numbers are expected to climb even higher.

By 2050, nearly half of the entire world could have myopia.

New research is showing there are ways we can slow down the progression of myopia. At Aurora Eye Care, our optometrists are committed to providing the most advanced, science based treatments. We want to prevent the long term side effects of high myopia for your child and give them the tools for their best vision possible, their whole life through. Book an appointment with our team today.

MYOPIA CAN AFFECT YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING

80% of your child’s learning happens visually, but issues like myopia can affect their performance at school, sports, and beyond.

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error that typically develops in school-age children. It occurs when the eye elongates over time or if the cornea becomes too steep, preventing light from properly focusing on the retina.

Over time, myopia could become high myopia, an issue that significantly increases the risk of developing serious sight-threatening conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and myopic maculopathy. For instance, every 1D increase in myopia increases the risk of myopic maculopathy by 67%. (green link Bullimore, M. A., & Brennan, N. A. (2019). Myopia control: why each diopter matters. Optometry and Vision Science, 96(6), 463-465.)

Managing myopia as early as possible with specialized glasses, contact lenses, atropine eye drops, and vision therapy could help prevent it from becoming high myopia.

Please visit My Kids Vision to learn more and assess your child’s risk factors!

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO MANAGE MYOPIA

Our mission with myopia control is to prevent myopia from developing into high myopia. The earlier we start managing myopia, the better chance of keeping it from causing further complications.

We offer a variety of strategies for controlling myopia development, but the very first step is to have an eye exam. In most cases, our strategies are most effective for controlling myopia in children. However, we can offer adults a number of ways to correct their vision, like glasses, contacts, or even laser eye surgery.

Atropine Eye Drops

Atropine eye drops are a common strategy for myopia control. Studies have shown that low-dose atropine eye drops can help slow the elongation of the eye by ~50%.**

This eye drop is specially formulated by your pharmacist. Diluted percentages of 0.05%, 0.025% and 0.01% are commonly used. The treatment is determined to be safe and the main side effects are light sensitivity due to large pupils and near blur. Your optometrist will help to find the right strength for your child to maximize myopia control while monitoring their visual function very closely. This treatment is often paired with anti-fatigue lenses with photochromic tints to compensate for any negative side effects of the medication.

MiSight 1 Day Contact Lenses

Eyeglass Lenses