Myopia Management: What You Need to Know

Have you noticed your vision is blurrier when you look at things far away? Whether squinting at the TV or struggling to read a road sign, myopia, or nearsightedness, is likely the reason. 

At Cooper Optometry in Santa Monica, California, Donna Cooper, OD, and Sarah Chung, OD, see this increasingly common vision disorder every day. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that half the world’s population will be nearsighted by 2050. 

The great news is, there are effective ways to manage this condition, no matter your age. Here, our expert doctors explain myopia, what you need to know, and how our team can help you manage it.

What’s myopia?

Myopia means you can see things up close clearly, but objects in the distance are blurry. It happens when your eye grows too long or the cornea curves too much, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it.

Glasses or contacts can improve the blur but don’t stop the problem from progressing. That’s where myopia management comes in. Left unchecked, myopia raises your risk of serious eye diseases like retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration.

That’s why early detection and proactive care matter so much. During a comprehensive eye exam, we use advanced diagnostic tools like the Optomap®, which gives us a wide, detailed view of your retina without dilation. 

Regular eye exams help us detect changes early and monitor the health of your eyes over time.

Managing myopia

Thankfully, there are effective options to slow down the progression of myopia. Myopia management tools we may recommend based on your needs include:

Ortho-k

You wear these specially designed lenses overnight to reshape your cornea, giving you clearer vision during the day without glasses or contacts.

Atropine drops

These nightly eye drops help slow myopia progression.

Multifocal contacts

This soft contact lens can reduce eye strain and slow the lengthening of your eye.

We also suggest reducing screen time and increasing outdoor activity to keep your eyes healthy. For adults, we can also discuss LASIK surgery, a go-to option for long-term vision correction if you have a stable prescription and your eyes are no longer changing.

We’re here to help

The team at Cooper Optometry can help you stay ahead of myopia. The first step is to schedule a comprehensive eye exam. We assess your eyes and customize a plan to protect and improve your vision and eye health.

Call our office today to schedule a myopia evaluation, or request an appointment online.