Myopia is an eye condition that causes the patient to see items close up far better than items that are far away. With far-away items blurry, it can be hard to do some of the normal tasks that need to be done. It is also known as nearsightedness, and it is common in adults. In kids, it is also common. If your child has nearsightedness, it's important to get them regular eye care and to get control when it is needed. To see our optometrist, call our Fountain Valley, CA, office, Fountain Valley Optometry, to make an appointment for your child for an eye exam and other eye care.
Orthokeratology Contact Lenses
This method of control, commonly referred to as ortho-k, is a type of treatment approved for children for slowing the progression. The eye condition often progresses rapidly in children, and this can stop it for a while or slow it down. When you get ortho-k for your child, it is important that they are used every night as our optometrist directs. They are contact lenses that work much differently from standard contacts. Because the wrong amount of curve is the cause of this eye condition, these contacts put gentle pressure on the eyes to help reshape them temporarily. This is done only at night with these contacts, and glasses aren't generally needed during the day when using ortho-k. This helps with the shape and slows it from reshaping itself even more poorly.
Atropine Eye Drops
These eye drops are a low dose of the same type of medication that is used to dilate the eyes during certain eye exams. When kids use these eye drops, it also helps to slow the rapid progression of myopia. These are may be administered at night before bed, and they can be applied as recommended by an eye doctor for the best results. Sometimes kids may take a few nights to get used to taking their eye drops, but after this learning period, they can be often fine with taking the drops, and it becomes a part of the bedtime routine.
Visit Us for More Information
With the use of certain control methods, you can help your child to have less nearsightedness than they would have without intervention. When your child needs eye care, give us a call at (714) 210-2393 for our Fountain Valley, CA, office, Fountain Valley Optometry, to make an appointment with our optometrist.