Can You Cure Myopia?

What is myopia?

Myopia is usually caused by the shape or size of your eyeball, or the lens of the eye. Typically, the eyeball grows too long during childhood and usually emerges in children between 6 and 13. It's not noticeable to other people, and unfortunately, we cannot currently reverse it. However, there are ways to correct myopia, minimise the effects and slow its progression.

You may have heard of phrases such as high myopia and degenerative myopia. High myopia is a way of referring to severe short-sightedness, usually with a prescription higher than -6.00D. Degenerative myopia, sometimes also known as pathological myopia, causes degenerative changes to the back of your eye. 

It is important to remember that myopia is not a disease or an illness; having myopia does not necessarily affect your health. However, if you notice a change in your vision, you should see an optometrist for a routine eye test, just in case you need myopia glasses.

Treatment for myopia

If you think you or your child has myopia, your first thought is probably how can you fix it. Whether you have high myopia or not, the first step in addressing it is with an eye test from your optician. They will be able to recommend an effective correction which usually includes myopia glasses. Wearing glasses for myopia is a standard solution, as the prescribed lenses help the light focus on the right place in your eye for clear vision.

Choosing the right lenses is essential, as the lens design can depend on how severe your myopia is, including high myopia. You might also wish to wear contact lenses depending on your personal preference. You should ensure that you wear the right glasses to suit your prescription; your optician will help you with this. 

At Essilor, we have created Eyezen lenses. Perfectly designed to suit your modern lifestyle, these single vision lenses can reduce eye strain, something that is common with a fast-paced, busy schedule. So, whether you're working on your computer, watching a film or catching up with friends, Eyezen lenses can make the experience much more comfortable and effortless. 

How can you cure myopia?

There is no doubt that you would love to find a way to control your vision a little better. Myopia can get progressively worse through childhood and teenage years until it stabilises in adulthood. There is currently no cure, which can be frustrating, but new emerging methods can help. 

Myopia control can allow you or your child to slow down the condition's progression through specific myopia control lenses or by undergoing treatment for myopia. 

Myopia control lenses

Solutions that can not only correct myopia but also control it are in development. In children, the most straightforward way to manage myopia is by wearing the right prescription lenses. 

Orthokeratology

You could also consider other treatments that are becoming more available. There is a treatment known as orthokeratology, which may sound a little strange, but it is a very intuitive treatment that can minimise myopia's effects. It involves wearing special contact lenses overnight to help reshape your eye's surface, allowing you to see clearly without glasses.

Remove the lenses when you wake up, and you will be able to see clearly throughout the day without wearing glasses! Your optometrist can help you to decide whether this is the right treatment for you.

Atropine

An alternative method to slow down myopia is a treatment called atropine, which you administer through eye drops. It ha been previously used on patients with high myopia and has shown some signs of slowing down the progression. 

Multifocal contact lenses

Soft contact lenses can also provide a useful tool for myopia control. There are specially modified multifocal contact lenses that can slow down the development of the condition. In some cases, this has been as effective as orthokeratology.

Laser eye surgery

When myopia's progression has stabilised in adulthood, you can consider undergoing laser eye surgery, which can provide effective long-term treatment for myopia. However, this will not prevent other vision issues as you get older such as presbyopia.

Future cures

Today’s technology and research have revealed a lot more about vision care and its solutions for your vision needs. Science shows that myopia progression and myopia control are becoming more readily accessible, providing benefits for you and your children when it comes to maintaining good eye health.

Research has also shown that it is vital for children to spend time outside to reduce the risk of myopia and its progression.

If you or your children have myopia, there is now more support and help from your optician than ever before.