Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming increasingly common in children—and when it affects your child, it can get worse over time. We can provide effective solutions for correcting vision and slowing its progression.
Slowing myopia not only helps improve lifetime eye health, but also helps reduce the need for progressively thicker, more powerful lenses. So, by addressing myopia early, we can help your child maintain their eye health and comfort throughout their life.
Schedule your child’s eye exam to take the first step in protecting their vision and preserving their eyes as they grow.
Together, we can come up with the best option for your child, whether it’s specially engineered spectacle lenses, soft contact lenses, nighttime contact lenses (orthokeratology), or low-dose atropine eye drops.
Myopia develops when the eye grows too long or the cornea curves too much, making things far away look blurry while close-up objects remain clear. It usually starts in childhood and can progress into the early twenties.
If myopia runs in your family, your child may be more likely to develop it. Not spending enough time outdoors or spending an unsustainable amount of time on near tasks (such as digital devices) may also contribute to myopia development.
Similarly, the earlier the onset of myopia occurs, the more the risk of developing high myopia increases and the risk of fast myopia progression. Regular eye exams are crucial to preserve your child’s visual health.
If you suspect your child has blurry vision, let’s talk about how we can help.
Clear vision often plays a vital role in children’s ability to learn, explore, and succeed academically. When a child has myopia, tasks like reading the whiteboard or following along in a textbook can become challenging, leading to frustration and other potential effects on their confidence and participation in class.
When we diagnose and help manage myopia early, we can create a tailored plan to support your child’s visual development. Our goal is to keep their vision clear and their confidence high.
Regular eye exams are a crucial part of identifying vision issues like myopia early, and setting your child up for success in and out of the classroom.
Because myopia can get worse over time, diagnosing it early is crucial. There’s no cure for myopia, but identifying it early allows us to take the steps to slow it down and help preserve your child’s vision before it gets worse.
Axial length measurement is a standard test in myopia management that we provide. It involves measuring the full length of the eyeball. As the eye grows longer, it can lead to worsening vision over time, with an increase in myopia.
A normal eye length is 22 to 24mm. When the eye grows longer than 26mm, the risk of your child suffering vision impairment in their lifetime is 25%. If the eye grows to more than 30mm, which can occur in very high myopia, the risk skyrockets to 90%.
The good news is that reducing the final level of myopia by only 1 diopter reduces the lifetime risk of vision impairment by 20%.
When we talk about myopia control, the main goal of all therapies is to slow the axial elongation—or growth—of the eyes. In fact, axial length alone is a key indicator of your child’s risk of developing high myopia later in life.
If your child’s eye exam shows signs of myopia, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Our team will recommend a personalized myopia control method tailored to your child’s age, lifestyle, and unique vision needs.
By taking action early, we can help slow the progression of myopia and support your child in enjoying clearer, more comfortable vision every day.
Standard corrective devices do not slow the progression of childhood myopia, but specific treatments do.
The current myopic interventions encompass 3 different mechanisms, i.e. a pharmaceutical effect (atropine), inducing a myopic peripheral defocus (Stellest, orthokeratology, and contact lenses), and lowering the contrast of images on the retina (DOT 2.0 lenses).
It is important to note that no treatment can promise the ability to stop myopia progression in children.
These daily disposable soft contact lenses let your child see clearly and work to manage how light focuses at the periphery of the eye, reducing the eye’s elongation. It’s a simple, safe, and effective way to help protect your child’s vision and quality of life.
MiSight 1-Day dual-focus contact lens is well tolerated and has the longest and most robust data available on the safety and efficacy of any soft contact lens option for myopia control.
Ability 1-Day is a relatively new product specifically designed to slow the progression of myopia in children. The RingBoost technology maintains vision while providing a very high treatment power.
Multifocal lenses are commonly used for adults, but they also offer promising benefits for children with myopia. These lenses not only correct vision but can slow the progression of nearsightedness over time.
Multifocal lenses are good alternatives to MiSight 1-Day and Ability 1-Day, but generally not a first option.
Ortho-k lenses are specially designed lenses that gently reshape your child’s cornea overnight, so they can enjoy clear vision during the day without glasses. These lenses help slow myopia over time, and can be a convenient option for kids with active lifestyles.
We use Paragon CRT and Abiliti overnight lenses. While Paragon CRT is the first overnight contact lens to receive FDA approval for correcting myopia, Abiliti overnight lenses are the only ortho-K lens approved for myopia control in Canada.
When used in low doses, atropine eye drops can help slow down the changes in your child’s vision caused by myopia. They can also be combined with other myopia control methods.
Spectacles or contact lenses are still needed to correct the blurred vision from myopia, as atropine only acts to slow myopia progression.
The Essilor Stellest lenses adopt the Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (H.A.L.T.) Technology. It features 11 concentric rings of highly aspherical lenslets.
Each ring features lenslets of a different power, and within a ring the lenslets are continuous (touchings). Those lenslets creates a peripheral defocus in the eyes and act as the treatment zone to slow down myopia progression. There is a 9mm clear central zone and spaces between each ring for sharp distance vision.
The SightGlass Vision Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses use microscopic diffusers of around 1/10th of a millimetre and have a smaller central clear zone. This is different from the ‘lenslet’ spectacle designs, which instead create a diffusion or blur of light around the edges of the lens.
Book an eye exam today to explore personalized myopia control options we recommend for your child. Our team can assess their unique needs and develop a tailored plan to help slow myopia progression, reduce future risks of eye health complications, and support clear, comfortable vision as they grow.
Together, we can protect your child’s vision and put their long-term eye health first.
The World Council of Optometry adopted a resolution about the Standard of Care for Myopia Management by Optometrists on April 13, 2021. The resolution states that correcting the refractive error is no longer sufficient and that myopia management should not be optional but rather an obligation of optometrists.
It was endorsed by the Canadian Association of Optometrists in January 2022.
Book Appointment
*Closed on long weekends
Contact lens prescriptions account for the shape of your eye and the material of the lens. Meanwhile, eyeglass prescriptions are measured for lenses positioned at a distance. […]
Read More… from Contact Lens vs. Glasses Prescription: What’s the Difference?
It helps to make some adjustments to your immediate surroundings. Use a humidifier, aim fans away from your face, and avoid harsh winds and air. It also helps to stay hydrated and follow a healthy diet. This gives your eyes the nutrients needed to protect themselves. […]
A comprehensive eye exam lasts about 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the tests performed and your specific needs. […]
Daily contact lenses are intended only to be used for one day and should not be worn any longer than that. Wearing these lenses more than once can pose a risk to your eye health. […]
Read More… from Can You Wear Daily Contacts for More Than a Day?
There are indeed hereditary aspects of glaucoma. However, knowing the ways in which these aspects can manifest can help with prevention and management of the condition. […]
In moderated usage, screens won’t cause any significant problems. However, in excess, they can lead to a significantly higher risk of nearsightedness, sleep disorders, and more. It’s essential to make sure your child uses screens in moderation and follows healthy visual habits to improve their visual development. […]
Sometimes, spending a day out in the sun is one of the most pleasant ways to enjoy your time. However, the sun isn’t harmless; it can quickly damage your eyes if you aren’t careful. Exposure to the sun’s rays increases the risk of all kinds of long-term eye conditions, but there’s one thing often forgotten […]
A yellowish bump on your eyelid could be a number of things: a stye, a chalazion, a milia or xanthelasma. They likely come from the buildup of protein or fats under the skin on the eyelids. […]
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) lenses are worn while sleeping to temporarily reshape the cornea. This provides temporary vision correction and reduces the need to use glasses or contacts during the day. […]
But amid this excitement, it’s paramount that we discuss an aspect often overshadowed by the eclipse’s awe: eye safety. Staring at the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause severe and permanent vision damage. So, it’s critical that you take steps to protect your eyes by using specialized solar-viewing glasses or a pinhole projector. […]
Read More… from Solar Eclipse Eye Safety: Prepare for the April 2024 Eclipse
Blurred vision is a common symptom associated with dry eyes. When the eye does not have enough moisture, it can lead to a disturbance in the visual pathway, resulting in blurred or distorted vision similar to that experienced with allergies. This may be temporary or chronic, depending on the severity of the dryness. […]
Meibomian glands are tiny oil glands that line the margin of the eyelids. They are crucial for maintaining the health of the ocular surface by producing an oily substance, meibum, that prevents the evaporation of the eye’s tear film. Keeping these glands unclogged is vital to ocular health. A blockage or dysfunction, called meibomian gland […]
If you are looking for contact lenses that provide sharper vision and more durability than soft lenses, RGP lenses might be the perfect fit for you. RGP lenses, referring to rigid gas-permeable lenses, are a type of contact lens made of a relatively hard, durable and deposit-resistant material that may allow more oxygen to reach […]
Whether you find yourself squinting at the fine print or struggling to read road signs from afar, you’re not alone. Many of us have been there, questioning if it’s time to think about buying glasses. Fortunately, your optometrist can help! With an eye exam, we can help you and your family figure out if glasses […]
Read More… from Do I Need Glasses? Here are Some Signs That You Might
OHIP continues to cover for pediatric eye exams up until age 19, diabetic eye exams, seniors eye exams and comprehensive eye exams for patients age 20-64 with certain eye conditions. […]
Blue light glasses can shield your eyes from the effects of blue light emitted by screens. Blue light can affect your circadian rhythm and make it harder for you to sleep at night. […]
When seasonal allergies affect your eyes, your vision can become blurry as you try to see through swelling and tears. […]
Polarized sunglasses can provide crisper, clearer vision, and reduce glare. […]
Read More… from Are Polarized Sunglasses Better for Your Vision?
During an eye exam, your eye doctor can look for changes in the blood vessels in the retina that may indicate high blood sugar levels, which can be a sign of diabetes. […]
One of the best ways to protect your eye’s long-term health is with regular comprehensive eye exams. A comprehensive eye exam allows an optometrist to look at your entire eye and visual system, allowing them to diagnose various eye diseases and disorders. These exams involve tests designed to detect early signs of eye disease, such […]
Many Canadians are familiar with dry and itchy eyes. The trouble with dry and irritated eyes is that the cause can be hard to narrow down. Chronic dry eye disease is a common culprit, but other common reasons for irritated eyes include allergies, eye infections, or contact lens wear and care. An over-the-counter (OTC) lubricating […]
For those with dry eyes, it can seem like there’s no end. The stinging, burning, and redness are ever-present. It doesn’t just affect your eyes; it can affect your entire life. That’s why there’s nothing better than getting those dry eyes treated by a professional. While you may have heard about treatments from eye drops, […]
Read More… from Vitamins & Supplements for Dry Eyes: What are my Options?
It’s not always obvious when you need glasses. Vision changes can be misleading—they rarely suddenly appear one day as blurry vision, difficulty reading fine print or street signs, or difficulty with night vision. If you never had to use glasses as a kid, you may believe that you don’t need them as an adult. This […]
Putting on a new pair of glasses for the first time can be exciting for many people. A lot of us are interested to see how our new frames will suit our faces, and others are just relieved to finally have better vision. Almost everyone who begins wearing glasses for the first time goes through […]
Myopia Management: What Does It Involve? Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, affects about one-third of children in Canada, and its prevalence is rising globally. By 2050, it is estimated that more than 50% of the world will be myopic. Myopia is an eye condition that causes blurry vision at a distance. Fortunately, recent developments in […]
Dry eyes are a prevalent condition that affects many Canadians. In many cases, wearing contacts can be an additional irritant that increases dry eye symptoms if you’re already prone to those itchy, burning eyes. If you’re experiencing any unusual and uncomfortable symptoms when wearing your contact lenses, it’s a good idea to book an exam […]
Whether it’s allergies or some other reason, eye drops are a pretty common tool for eye care. As with anything medicinal, paying attention to expiry dates is part of using the eye drops properly—even over-the-counter (OTC) eye drops. You may have fought hard to put eye drops in your eyes, so we want to make […]
The feeling of something being stuck in your eye is especially annoying. But what do you do if there’s nothing actually in your eye? It could be a sign of seasonal or perennial ocular allergies. Ocular allergies can affect anyone and can make daily activities uncomfortable and frustrating. Fortunately, there are many ways to manage […]
Old South Optometry
