Myopia Management: How to Slow Myopia Progression

A 2022 stud found that 27% of Australian children tested were diagnosed with myopia, a stark rise from the 15% recorded in 2017. That upward trend is even more concerning given how many cases go unnoticed altogether: approximately one in five children suffers from an undiagnosed vision problem, according to Optometry Australi. Thankfully, myopia management is straightforward when caught early, and with regular eye examinations.

Understanding shortsightedness in children

Myopia, commonly known as shortsightedness, is more than just an inconvenience requiring glasses. When someone has myopia, their eyeball physically elongates. This causes light to focus just in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.

The signs of myopia in children generally first begin to appear in childhood and worsen throughout the teenage years as the body and eyes grow. While genetics play a big role, modern environmental factors like long hours spent indoors and increasing screen use are causing myopia rates to skyrocket globally. It is predicted that by 205, up to 50% of the world’s population will be myopic.

Is myopia genetic?

While environmental factors also contribute to myopia, having a family history makes it even more important to have regular eye tests. In fact, having one myopic parent makes you twice as likel to develop it, while having two myopic parents makes you five times more likely to develop it.

On the other hand, broad genetic disorders, such as Marfan Syndrome, have been linked to high myopia risks.

Does screen time cause myopia?

Spending extended periods of time staring at screens up close can signal to your eyeballs to grow longer, increasing the risk of myopia and retinal detachment. Because of this, following the 20-20-20 rule is one of the best forms of myopia control and easing eye strain in general. Simply, try looking at something 20 feet (6 metres) away, every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.

Can myopia be reversed?

No, once the eyeball has elongated, that physical change is permanent. However, this isn’t cause for alarm: modern myopia treatments for children can effectively reduce the rate of progression.

The earlier you begin to manage myopia, the greater the opportunity to protect your child’s long-term eye health and reduce higher myopia risks later in life. It’s why it is recommended for kids to have an eye test annually, as vision problems can help explain why some children have issues focusing in school.

Why early intervention matters

Many people assume that a stronger pair of glasses is the only consequence of worsening myopia. However, as the eyeball stretches, the retina becomes thinner. This significantly increases the lifetime risk of developing serious, sight-threatening conditions, including:

• Retinal detachment
• Glaucoma
• Macular degeneration

The goal of myopia management is not just to help your child see clearly today, but also to prevent excessive elongation of the eye and reduce the risk of future eye disease.

How we correct vision today

Once the onset of myopia has stabilised and is no longer progressing, we can begin to address it with more traditional forms of vision correction, such as:

• Standard Spectacles & Contact Lenses: Remains the most common solution, providing clear distance vision by compensating for the eye’s refractive error. While they correct the blurriness, they do not slow the condition’s underlying progression.

Laser Eye Surgery: A popular refractive correction option for adults whose eyes have finished growing. Procedures such as LASIK and PRK reshape the cornea to correct vision, but like standard glasses and contacts, laser surgery is not designed for myopia management.

How to slow myopia progression

However, for someone with myopia who is progressing or at risk of progression, we offer myopia management programs to slow the rate of axial elongation. Today, optometrists utilise four primary methods to manage and reduce myopia progression, three of which also provide vision correction:

1. Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)

Ortho-K involves wearing specially designed, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses only while sleeping. These lenses gently reshape the cornea overnight. When you wake up and take them out, you enjoy clear vision throughout the day without needing glasses or daytime contacts. The reshaping of the cornea changes the peripheral images on the retina and slows the myopia progression

2. Myopia control spectacles

These specialised spectacle lenses (such as Hoya Miyosmart or Essilor Stellest) look like regular glasses but feature innovative optical technology that alters how light focuses on the peripheral retina. This also helps signal the eye to stop growing so fast.

3. Specialised soft contact lenses

Myopia control soft daily disposable lenses (like MiSight) correct your child’s daily vision while providing special focal zones that signal the eye to stop elongating. They are highly comfortable and a great choice for active kids and teenagers.

4. Low-dose atropine eye drops

These are prescription eye drops that are applied once nightly. At low concentrations, they are very safe and effectively relax the eye’s focusing mechanism, heavily reducing the rate of myopia progression.  These can be used in conjunction with myopia control spectacle and contact lenses, as well as ortho-K, to provide additional benefit in slowing progression.

5. Combining treatments for better outcomes

For children with rapidly progressing myopia, or those who are at high risk, combining two or more treatment approaches can deliver greater results than any single intervention alone. Atropine eye drops, in particular, are frequently used alongside optical treatments such as Ortho-K or myopia-control lenses to maximise the slowing effect on axial elongation.

Your optometrist will assess your child’s condition, the rate of progression, their age and lifestyle, before recommending the most appropriate childhood myopia treatment plan. Myopia management is not one-size-fits-all; the best outcomes come from a personalised approach tailored to each individual child.

Everyday habits to protect eye health

Clinical treatments work best when supported by healthy visual habits at home. The two most important lifestyle factors in myopia management are:

• Increase Outdoor Time: Spending at least 2 hours outdoors daily has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of myopia onset and progression. Natural light helps regulate healthy eye growth.
• Manage Near Work: Limit prolonged close-up work and screen time to manageable blocks. Encourage frequent breaks, such as the 20-20-20 rule, in which every 20 minutes you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Is your child due for a myopia check?

If your child has been squinting, sitting closer to the TV, or struggling to see the board at school, it is worth booking a comprehensive eye examination. Equally, even if no symptoms are present, proactive monitoring is recommended for all children, particularly those with a family history of myopia.

It is recommended that all children have a comprehensive eye examination before commencing school and then at least every 3 years. The earlier myopia is identified and managed, the better the long-term outcome. Speak to your local Eyecare Plus optometrist about an assessment and find out which treatment approach is right for your child.