Myopia and Contact Lenses

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a very common eye condition that causes a person to be unable to see objects clearly from a distance. This condition affects an estimated 30% of the world population today, and that number is projected to grow to as much as 50% by 2050. Beyond poor eyesight, myopia can also pose a long-term threat to your kid's vision and eye health, with data pointing to a connection between myopia and the development of potentially sight-threatening eye conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration later in life.

Contacts That Can Help With Myopia

Finding the right type of contact lens to help your child with their myopia starts with a comprehensive eye exam with our local optometrist at St. Clairsville Eyecare. Once we've taken a look at your kid's eyes, we'll be able to assess how best to help.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-k)

Ortho-k lenses are a special type of contacts worn at night, which gently reshape your cornea as you sleep. This allows you to wake up the next morning and enjoy improved vision for the whole day without further need for contacts or glasses. Ortho-k lenses have also been shown to slow the progression of myopia in kids. The lenses must be worn every night to maintain their effectiveness.

Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses

Though primarily meant to treat presbyopia, bifocal and multifocal lenses have also proven effective at slowing myopia progression. Specifically, lenses with distance vision correction in the center and near vision correction on the sides have been shown to stop or significantly slow children's myopia.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for myopia. Regular glasses and contacts correct vision but often don't prevent it from getting worse. Find out more about how myopia management can change this. Contact our St. Clairsville eye doctors at St. Clairsville Eyecare today. Call (740) 695-0444.