Providing spectacle correction is one of the cornerstones of primary eye care, and myopia controlling spectacles can both correct and control myopia. Here we explore the current myopia controlling spectacle lenses which have or are being commercialized, for which peer-reviewed publications are available – their design, presumed mechanism and comparative efficacy.
There are numerous reasons why contact lenses are beneficial for children, and the safety profile is high. Yet there are still barriers in the mind of the practitioner, parent and young patient to childhood CL wear. Here we address these often cited barriers, with the goal to support your clinical communication on the benefits and safety of contact lenses for kids, to move towards achieving a ‘yes’ from the parent and patient.
Axial length (AXL) has been well established as the critical measurement in myopia control research. The measurement accuracy and link to disease risk make AXL increasingly important in a clinical setting. But what else should we measure in the myopic eye? Does the cornea change as well? Will we end up doing away with refraction? Read more on measuring the whole eye in myopia.
Communicating the reasons, benefits and options in myopia management can be complex. Using pictures in health communications has been shown to improve patient attention, recall and comprehension of information and adherence to treatment. The Managing Myopia Guidelines Infographics are designed to guide you through the process of explaining myopia control using simple messaging and pictures. We explain the four key messages of myopia management here.
Dry eye is a common complaint in general optometry, and can occur in children too. How could dry eye in kids influence myopia management? This blog includes detail on the frequency of dry eye in children; causative factors like allergy, medications, binocular vision and screen time; and how dry eye can factor into myopia control options.
How can you tell if your myopia management strategy has been a success? Our new Myopia Profile ‘Managing Myopia Guidelines’ infographics translate research into practice, providing advice on gauging success by both refraction and axial length outcomes. Given that refraction is universally measured in clinical myopia practice, there is particular emphasis on understanding how much refraction change after a year of treatment indicates whether expected efficacy for that intervention has been attained.
Parents can often ask for advice and help with managing screen time for their children. Here we provide a summary of government and health organization screen time guidelines for children, as well as resources for eye care practitioners to use in communication with parents.
Assessing accommodative function, such as measuring near lag of accommodation, is a vital component of understanding the myopia profile of your patient. In this post Dr Kate Gifford describes how to measure accommodation lag in practice.
Ensuring an accurate refraction is a hallmark of best practice myopia management. Yet refractions in children can present particular challenges. Which technique is most accurate, and when is cycloplegia necessary? Covering acuity measurement, retinoscopy, autorefraction and when and how to employ cycloplegia – here are some tips to achieve the best outcomes, especially for younger children where compliance and participation in testing can be more challenging.
There’s a common clinical belief that orthokeratology doesn’t work as well in lower myopes for myopia control. This is even sometimes included in conference presentations as prescribing advice. Is orthokeratology useful for control of low myopia? Here’s what’s fact and what’s fiction, when considering its efficacy for low vs high myopia, and orthokeratology vs multifocal contact lens myopia control.
