myopia

First FDA Approved Contact Lens to Slow Childhood Nearsightedness Coming in March

November 29, 2019 3:20 pm

The FDA has approved its first contact lens designed to effectively slow the progression of nearsightedness in children, starting in ages 8 to 12.

CooperVision’s MiSight lens is a soft, single-use and disposable contact, made to be discarded at the end of each day.

A three-year clinical study showed the lens was able to slow the elongation of the eyeball from front to back by an average of 52% across annual check-ups—one of the main causes of myopia, as incoming images begin to come into focus at a point in front of the retina, instead of precisely on it. read more

Eye Experts Warn of Myopia Epidemic Affecting Children

February 19, 2019 9:58 am

There’s a myopia epidemic affecting young people right now and our smartphones are to blame. If you noticed your eyes are getting worse or more and more of your friends need glasses, that’s because of a myopia epidemic that’s affecting young people.

Myopia is the official name for near-sightedness, or when you have trouble seeing distances. The number of cases in North America has more than doubled since 1972.

In most cases, people with myopia are simply stuck wearing glasses or contacts. Myopia can be much more dangerous than that though. As your near-sightedness gets worse, your eye actually stretches, getting longer and your retina gets thinner. This can lead to bleeding and cracks. People with severe near-sightedness could end up spending the rest of their life legally blind. People with myopia are also at risk for major eye disorders like retinal tearing, glaucoma, and cataracts. read more

Optometrist’s Book Helps Preserve Children’s Vision

May 27, 2018 11:57 am

Dr. Mark Page has released a book helping parents to help their children do better in school, play and life.

His book includes seven other optometrist contributors from the U.S. who offer parents common-sense solutions that can help improve their child’s eyesight. Some suggestions as simple as encouraging a child to spend more time outside rather than exclusively in front of a computer or television screen.

“There’s almost an epidemic of people becoming nearsighted. In the last 40 years, the number of kids alone going nearsighted as gone up 60 percent,” said Page. read more