Myopia Control
at ascot vale Eyecare
If your child's glasses prescription has jumped again, or you're living with high myopia yourself and want a different path for your kids, you're in the right place.
Our Optometrist Simone has over 10 years experience working with children and since opening Ascot Vale Eyecare has run a dedicated myopia management program seeing children from toddlers to teenagers with the goal of reducing the progression of their myopia.
What is Myopia Management?
Myopia (short-sightedness) tends to progress through childhood, up to age 16 and even beyond.
High myopia carries greater lifelong risk of eye disease such as retinal detachment, glaucoma and maculopathy. Myopia management aims to slow that progression using evidence-based treatments that are proven to improve vision today and change the trajectory of the myopia end point.
What are the most effective myopia control treatments in Australia?
Spectacle lenses, Contact Lenses and Low-Dose Atropine Eyedrops are all treatment options with solid scientific backing, shown to slow myopia progression by 50% or more. This means our Optometrists don't default to one favourite. We build a program around each child's age, individual risk factors and progression rate.
👓 Spectacle Lenses for Myopia Control
Hoya Miyosmart Myopia Control Lenses
Essilor Stellest Myopia Control Lenses
Both companies have first and second generation lenses
These companies have independent studies that have followed children for several years and have robust clinical data behind them
☀️ Soft Daily Lenses for Myopia Control
Coopervision MiSight 1 day
Made of Silicon Hydrogel material
Been studied for over seven years
Daily contact lenses can improve childrens self confidence and handling is easy to learn
💧Low Dose Atropine Eyedrops
Low-dose Atropine eyedrops can be used in three concentrations 0.01% 0.025% and 0.05% to reduce eye ball elongation.
Previously these eyedrops had to be compounded at select pharmacies but they can now be accessed through most community pharmacies with a prescription.
👁️ Orthokeratology (Contact Lenses while you sleep)
A process where a custom made contact lens reshapes the cornea while you sleep so you do not wear any correction during the day
Lifechanging for children, teens and adults with active lifestyles as they don't have to worry about glasses during the day
When to start myopia management
You can't start eye tests too young. We comfortably examine toddlers before they can read letters, using a shapes-based chart and handheld equipment if they find larger instruments intimidating.
All components of the eye test are performed by our Optometrist Simone, never a technician and this will include standard tests of digital slit lamp , retinal photography (OCT when needed and refraction. If your child is at risk of high myopia or there is a family history of myopia we can include a biometry axial length measurement to give us a baseline and track as your child grows.
Reviews are typically conducted every six months but can be adjusted more or less frequently based on risk factors. A prescription change of -0.50D or growth on the axial length outside age norms will prompt an immediate conversation about whether the current treatment plan needs to change.
Auto Phoropter
Topography
Digital
Retinal
Scans
Biometry
(Growth Chart)
Auto Refractor