Protecting Your Child’s Vision
Approximately 25% of Americans have myopia, living with blurry vision. This condition commonly develops in childhood, where it can worsen for years. If your child has myopia, this condition can progress without them noticing.
Visit us in San Anselmo, and we can help protect your child’s vision and eye health from myopia progression. Our team is here to help diagnose and treat this condition as early as possible.
Request an Appointment
What Is Myopia?
Myopia is a common refractive error many patients develop. It causes faraway objects to look blurry while closer objects appear clear. Children and adults affected by myopia may need to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, and myopia can increase a person’s risk of other eye conditions during adulthood.
Myopia occurs when the eyes are too long or the cornea has a steep curve, affecting how light focuses as it enters the eye. Incoming light lands in front of the retina when it should focus on the retina.
Other factors can influence myopia development, including:
What Are the Risks of Myopia Progression?
Myopia progression can occur because your child’s eyes continue to elongate as they grow. Myopia development typically begins in childhood and stabilizes in early adulthood (with rare cases continuing into adulthood).
Because eye growth means that myopia can progress with time, a mild case of myopia can worsen. Severe myopia is also known as high myopia.
Children with myopia or other vision problems can experience delays in reading or other academic skills, difficulty with social interactions, and poor self-esteem. Your child may also have fewer and less desirable options for vision correction later in life if their myopia is not controlled early.
Additionally, high myopia increases the risk of several eye conditions in adulthood, including:
Our Myopia Control Treatments
While myopia can worsen, specialized treatments can help slow this progression. With time, we can help your child avoid heavier prescriptions as they grow.
Myopia treatments include low-dose atropine drops, multifocal contact lenses, orthokeratology, and progressive eyeglasses.
Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses
Multifocal soft contact lenses have different prescriptions throughout the lens. The design of the lens is similar to a bullseye.
The center of the lens corrects vision, while the outer rings focus peripheral light in front of the retina. In this way we can slow the progression of myopia while providing clear vision.
We offer MiSight and NaturalVue lenses at our practice.
Orthokeratology (CRT Corneal Refractive Therapy)
Orthokeratology (also known as CRT, or corneal refractive therapy) is a corneal reshaping lens for correcting and controlling myopia. These lenses treat myopia by gently reshaping the cornea as your child sleeps, improving how light focuses as it enters the eye.
Your child removes these lenses in the morning and enjoys clear vision without glasses. Orthokeratology is beneficial for controlling myopia, slowing progression in children by up to 36–56%.
Low Dose Atropine
Low-dose atropine eye drops target the focusing mechanisms in your child’s eyes. They dilate the pupil and freeze the muscles in the eye, relaxing focusing efforts. Studies show that atropine eye drops can slow myopia progression by over 70%.
While these eye drops can help treat myopia progression, your child will likely need to wear corrective eyewear to see clearly.
Progressive or Peripheral Blur Eyeglasses
Progressive eyeglasses are similar to multifocal lenses, providing clear vision from different distances. Your child wears these glasses at all times to correct and control myopia. Previous research found these lenses can effectively slow myopia progression over 3 years.
Myopia Progression Is Treatable
Approximately 40% of Americans have myopia, up from 25% in the 1970s. This condition commonly develops in childhood and worsens through the teenage years. When it continues to progress later in life, it is sometimes known as progressive or degenerative myopia. The sooner this can be diagnosed and treated, the better the possible outcome.
Myopia can seem insignificant, but this condition can worsen with time and put your child’s vision at risk. Untreated myopia can lead to heavy eyewear prescriptions and an increased risk of eye disease. Visit us for an appointment, and we can help slow myopia progression.
Request an AppointmentOur Location
Mt. Tam Optometric Center is located in San Anselmo, on the corner of Suffield Ave. and Sir Frances Drake Blvd. If you are having trouble finding us, please give us a call!
Our Address
- 1604 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
- San Anselmo, CA 94960
Contact Information
- Phone: 415-453-8906
- Fax: 415-453-0156
- Email: [email protected]
Our Hours
- Monday: By Appointment Only
- Tuesday: By Appointment Only
- Wednesday: By Appointment Only
- Thursday: By Appointment Only
- Friday: By Appointment Only
- Saturday: By Appointment Only*
-
Sunday:
By Appointment Only
*Includes the first and third Saturday of the month
Our Brands
Our Google Reviews
Our Blog
5 Myths About Contacts Lenses You Shouldn’t Believe
Eye Health and DiseasesThinking about giving contact lenses a try but nervous they might not be right for you? Although the only guaranteed way to have a positive experience with contact lenses is to schedule an appointment with one of our eye care professionals, we want to address some of the common myths we hear about wearing contact […]
The Why Behind Color Eyewear Lenses
Eye Health and DiseasesWhile we love colored eyewear lenses as an opportunity to make a bold fashion statement, that’s not all they can do. A different lens color for your eyewear or sunglasses can help filter light differently to fit your unique needs best. Unsure if you could benefit from a pair of colored lenses, read below! Whether […]
How Eating Healthy Affects Your Eyes
Eye Health and DiseasesThe foods and vitamins you consume affect your body’s overall health, including your eyes. With a healthy diet and lifestyle, the likelihood of developing some eye diseases and health disorders dramatically decreases. With a few simple steps, your body will thank you later! Eating Healthy Foods One of the best things you can do is […]
5 Myths About Contacts Lenses You Shouldn’t Believe
Thinking about giving contact lenses a try but nervous they might not be right for you? Although the only guaranteed way to have a positive experience with contact lenses is to schedule an appointment with one of our eye care professionals, we want to address some of the common myths we hear about wearing contact […]
The Why Behind Color Eyewear Lenses
While we love colored eyewear lenses as an opportunity to make a bold fashion statement, that’s not all they can do. A different lens color for your eyewear or sunglasses can help filter light differently to fit your unique needs best. Unsure if you could benefit from a pair of colored lenses, read below! Whether […]
How Eating Healthy Affects Your Eyes
The foods and vitamins you consume affect your body’s overall health, including your eyes. With a healthy diet and lifestyle, the likelihood of developing some eye diseases and health disorders dramatically decreases. With a few simple steps, your body will thank you later! Eating Healthy Foods One of the best things you can do is […]
