Missed our webinar on —When Your Screen is Killing Your Eyesight: Eye Health in The Digital Age? Watch out for more webinars or the highlights on Sessions and Videos!
Myopia or nearsightedness is an eye condition that results in blurred vision for distant objects. People with myopia have more difficulty seeing objects that are far away, such as while driving, than objects that are close by, such as reading or using a computer [1]. Unless myopia is treated with corrective lenses or surgery, it can result in squinting, eyestrain, headaches, and, in the worst cases, serious loss of vision.
Singapore has one of the highest rates for childhood myopia in the world, so don't panic if your little one comes home from school with a letter suggesting glasses for them. There are plenty of choices out there, and plenty of places to find just what you need for your little ones.
Atropine Eye Drops
Applying atropine eye drops can dilate your pupils and works by paralysing your eye’s focusing muscle temporarily. This is a common first-line therapy to manage myopia. Atropine eye drops were well accepted in Asian children and were effective in reducing the development of low to serious myopia [2] [3].
Ortho-K Lenses
Ortho-K lenses reshape the front eyes as they are worn overnight. Ortho-K slows the rate at which your child's eyes get worse and decreases your child's risk of eye disease and their need for a new prescription. Besides the positives of minimizing risk and not requiring glasses as much, children will have increased eye performance at school and activities, thus removing most of the complications associated with wearing glasses and myopia.
Spectacle Lenses
Myopia should be corrected in children, especially those under 8 years old, and glasses should be worn constantly [4]. There are various lens types, such as single-vision lenses and bifocal lenses [5].
One state-of-the-art innovation includes MiYOSMART, which will slow down myopia by 60% on average [6]. This works through D.I.M.S. (Defocused Incorporated Multiple Segments) Technology [7]. It works by providing a central optical zone through which light is refracted into the eyes. Around this zone are several 'defocus segments' across this zone which helps to monitor myopia progression. If you look very closely, those defocus segments look like honeycomb.
Some children concerned that their spectacles looking different with its honeycomb pattern have nothing to fear. These patterns can only be observed when others are in close proximity, which means they will have to enter the child’s personal space.
MiYOSMART lenses are safe, as they have been checked for stress and are resistant to impacts. It is thin and light, not heavy and bulky as you might expect. It also has a UV protection layer, ensuring the eyes are being shielded from the sun. Finally, MiYOSMART has several layers that make the spectacles water repellent and anti-reflective.
In Conclusion
If your children have myopia you can choose one of the options above, like eye drops, ortho-K, or spectacle lenses like MiYOSMART.
Remember that although eye drops and contact lenses are safe options if you don't want to wear spectacles, MiYOSMART slows down the development of myopia by an average of 60%.
MiYOSMART is also secure and simple due to its impact-resistant material with UV protection and ease of maintenance, in addition to its effectiveness. It is easy to use and adjust because it functions like every other pair of single-vision lenses.
Brought to you by HOYA Lens. Find out where you can get MiYOSMART in Singapore by looking for the closest HOYA eye care practitioner.
At Eagle Eye Centre, Dr Harold Choi is a Specialist in Ophthalmology. He finished his basic medical degree at the National University of Singapore (NUS), followed by his Masters in Medicine (Ophthalmology), and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh. He held clinical teaching positions at NUS.