Contact lenses
Myopia management contact lenses are designed to firstly correct your child’s vision so they can see well and secondly to slow the process of eyeball growth, with the aim of reducing how short sighted they eventually become.
The aim of treatment is to slow the rate of decline by around 50%. Myopia management contact lenses cannot reduce your child’s prescription from the point at which they start with the contact lenses.
There are two contact lens options – either soft daily disposable multi focal contact lenses (MiSight) that are worn during the day or specially designed gas permeable night lenses, which are worn when asleep (also known as ortho-k lenses).
MiSight lenses have two powers in them and slow the progression of myopia in children by focusing light at the centre of the retina for good vision while creating defocus on the surrounding parts of the retina to slow the eye’s desire to grow.
Night lenses temporarily and reversibly reshape the cornea (front surface of
the eye) while you sleep. These contact lenses are taken out in the morning so that the wearer can have clear vision all day without having to wear spectacles or contact lenses and are great for people who swim or have an active lifestyle. These slow the progression of myopia in the same way as the soft contact lenses. Patients get used to them very quickly and their sleep is rarely affected by them.