MYOPIA MANAGEMENT

The Myopia Management program allows Dr. Michael Cook to stop / slow down the progression of nearsightedness.

Treatment Options:

Ortho-K

Atropine

Soft multifocal contact lenses

Our myopia management coordinator, Chelsie, completing insertion and removal trianing for contact lenses

The program includes:

Testing

Tracking

Follow-ups

Treatment materials

Treatment type would be reccommended based on Dr. Cook’s evaluation and your child’s needs.

ORTHO-K

One of the myopia treatment options involves a custom designed overnight contact lens “retainer” that works by gently reshaping the front of the eye while your child sleeps. This treatment not only can slow your child’s myopia, it also offers the benefit of allowing your child to see clearly all day without glasses or contact lenses.

Many parents are concerned that their child is not ready for contact lenses, our experience is that children as young as six can be very successful with these treatments with the proper education and support.

ORTHO-K FAQs

What Does “Ortho-K” Mean?

“Ortho-k” is short for orthokeratology. Orthokeratology is a technique that uses specialized contact lenses that (temporarily) reshape the curvature of the corneas during sleep, thus correcting for refractive errors and allowing for clear, lens-free vision upon awakening.

How Do Ortho-K Lenses Work?

Ortho-k lenses aren’t just contact lenses — they’re designed to act as molds that apply gentle corrective pressure on the flexible tissues of the cornea. This safe, painless pressure causes the corneas to conform to a new curvature that matches your corrective vision prescription. In the morning, simply take the lenses out and go about your day with no need for glasses or daytime contacts.

Can Ortho-K Slow the Development of Myopia?

Ortho-k can indeed slow myopia progression in children. Studies have shown that orthokeratology lenses can reduce the amount of myopia that develops during these years, when most myopia development occurs. By the time your nearsighted kids reach adulthood, they may enjoy substantially better vision from having used ortho-k lenses during childhood.

How Can your Optometrist Get Me Started With Ortho-K?

If you’re interested in exploring the potential of ortho-k for your child the first step is to schedule an eye exam with your optometrist at Visionary Eye Care.

SOFT MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

Another excellent option to manage a child's myopia is the use of soft multifocal contact lenses. These lenses are very easy for children to quickly become accustomed in terms of comfort. The vast majority of our patients that use soft multifocal lenses for myopia management use a daily disposable lens, so that they get a fresh lens everyday and do not have to clean the lens at night. Newer soft multifocal contact lens designs are available for virtually any prescriptions regardless of the amount of myopia or astigmatism your child may have.

ATROPINE

Atropine eye drops have been used for pediatric eye conditons for over one hundred years. Atropine eye drops used only once a day can significantly slow down a child's myopic degeneration with little to no side effects. For children that are not yet ready for contact lenses atropine eye drops at the optimal concentration for the individual child can be an excellent treatment option. Newer studies and or clinical experience at Visionary Eye Care have shown that children that are increasing exceptionally quickly in their myopia can benefit from using both specialized myopia management contact lenses as well as atropine drops. This combination therapy can result in keeping a child with a mild prescription from becoming severely myopic, thereby saving that child from the dependence and eye disease risk that comes with severe myopia.

SCHEDULE A FREE MYOPIA CONSULATION

WHAT IS MYOPIA?

Myopia (nearsightedness, where distance vision is blurry) is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 in 3 U.S. children now myopic. Researchers believe that the environment kids grow up in today, with too many close distance activities (like reading and device use) and lack of outdoor play, is contributing to the rapid increase in childhood myopia. While glasses and contact lenses compensate for a child’s blurry vision, they don’t stop your child’s vision from continuing to deteriorate.

As children grow, myopia often develops as they reach school age and progresses into the late teens.

DANGERS OF MYOPIA

We now know there is more to worry about with myopia in children than the inconvenience of ever-thickening lenses. Studies show that myopic patients are at significantly greater risk of sight-threatening diseases in their lifetime. Myopia is caused by the eye growing too long, which increases your child’s risks of retinal diseases, glaucoma and cataracts. The greater the myopia, the greater the risk to your child’s eye health, so early intervention is critical.

MYOPIA TREAMTMENT OPTIONS

Fortunately, there are now proven, non-surgical treatments that can slow or in some cases even stop your child’s myopia from getting worse. These treatments include custom designed contact lenses and prescription eye drops. This service can help treat your child’s myopia to give them better vision now and reduce the threat of more serious eye diseases in the future.

ORTHO-K

ORTHO-K FAQs

What Does “Ortho-K” Mean?

How Do Ortho-K Lenses Work?

How Long Does Ortho-K’s Vision Correction Last?

The effects of Ortho-l typically last for a day or two at a time, but some people experience corrected vision for several days. You can always maintain your vision correction by wearing your ortho-k lenses to bed on whatever schedule seems to yield the most consistent results. The temporary nature of orth-k correction is actually a plus, since it allows you to give up this form of vision correction for another option at any time.

Who Are Good Candidates for Ortho-K?

Ortho-k work best for people suffering from either myopia or astigmatism. It can correct about 85 percent of all myopia prescriptions and about 8- percent of (non-severe) astigmatism cases. Children who have myopia or a family history of myopia are also excellent candidate for ortho-k.

Can Ortho-K Slow the Development of Myopia?

How Can your Optometrist Get Me Started With Ortho-K?

If you’re interested in exploring the potential of ortho-k, either for yourself or for your loved ones, the first step is to schedule an eye exam with your optometrist at Visionary Eye Care.

SOFT MULTIFOCAL CONTACT LENSES

Another excellent option to manage a child's myopia is the use of soft multifocal contact lenses. These lenses are very easy for children to quickly become accustomed in terms of comfort. The vast majority of our patients that use soft multifocal lenses for myopia management use a daily disposable lens, so that they get a fresh lens everyday and do not have to clean the lens at night. Newer soft multifocal contact lens designs are available for virtually any prescriptions regardless of the amount of myopia or astigmatism your child may have.

ATROPINE

Atropine eye drops have been used for pediatric eye conditons for over one hundred years. Atropine eye drops used only once a day can significantly slow down a child's myopic degeneration with little to no side effects. For children that are not yet ready for contact lenses atropine eye drops at the optimal concentration for the individual child can be an excellent treatment option. Newer studies and or clinical experience at Visionary Eye Care have shown that children that are increasing exceptionally quickly in their myopia can benefit from using both specialized myopia management contact lenses as well as atropine drops. This combination therapy can result in keeping a child with a mild prescription from becoming severely myopic, thereby saving that child from the dependence and eye disease risk that comes with severe myopia.