As well as being one of the top 3 practices in the UK supplying this revolutionary contact lens. We are one of the only practices in the world to combine this technology with vision therapy to provide a complete Myopia Control Programme. Our results speak for themselves>>
Myopia Control with MiSight Contact Lenses - All you need to know
Finally a safe, easy and proven way to control myopia in children
A revolutionary new daily use soft contact lens that can safely save the sight of hundreds of millions of children worldwide. 1
MiSight contact lenses by Coopervision are the first ever contact lenses that are approved and licensed for use for myopia control in children. The lens work by using a special optical focus that safely and non-invasively inhibits the process that causes short-sight to get worse.
These lenses have revolutionised the care and treatment of children who develop myopia. It provides an easy, safe way to reduce the rate and progression of myopia, which in turn reduces the risk of devastating diseases of the eye.
The number of people with myopia is reaching worrying levels. The rate of people who are myopic has doubled over the past decade and is still rising. In the UK, about 20% of children are short-sighted. In countries like South Korea, over 90% of 18 year olds are myopic 2. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is so concerned that they’ve announced that it has reached epidemic proportions. Along with many governments, the WHO is investing lots of time and money into finding ways to halt this tide of impending visual disability. 3
What is myopia?
Myopia (also known as short-sight or near sight), is a condition where the eyes develop to have a focus for near objects or short distances. This means that objects or detail in the distance will become blurry. Children will struggle to see the board at school unless they wear glasses or contact lenses. Our eyes respond to blurred vision in an effort to make the vision clearer, but as a result of this attempt, the eyes grow larger and become more short-sighted.
What are the risks of myopia?
At first, the main risks of short sight are difficulties in learning and education. How can children learn if they can’t see the board? There are problems with confidence and quality of life in children and teenagers who wear glasses. Kids are often embarrassed and hindered in social settings and when playing sports or activities. 4
The long-term effects of myopia are much more serious and devastating. The additional growth of the eyeball means that myopes are at a significantly higher risk of glaucoma, retinal detachment and macula degeneration. These have the potential to make someone blind. Myopia related conditions are now the leading cause of new cases blindness in many countries. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
What are the causes of myopia?
There are four main causes:
- Genetic: If your parents are myopic, the risk of child with myopia is much higher. This is the one factor that you can’t change! 10
- Environmental: Spending more time outdoors reduces the risk of myopia. You need at least 2 hours outdoors everyday. Spending too much time focusing on close objects, especially reading or holding a device very close to your eyes increases the progression of myopia. 11, 12
- Focusing and binocular vision: This relates to your visual skills, if the eyes muscles have a weakness or don’t coordinate well together, this can increase your risk of myopia that gets worse more quickly. Your optometrist MUST assess this before prescribing a treatment plan for myopia. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
- Optical: As our eyes grow, we become more short sighted. The eyes recognise that the light coming into the eye is going out of focus and tries to compensate. Unfortunately, this mechanism responds by making the eye grow faster, thus making children even MORE short sighted. This is mechanism that is disrupted by misight lenses, resulting in a slower rate of progression of myopia. 21, 22
How exactly do MiSight lenses work?
Myopia causes the vision to be out of focus. The eyes detect that the light entering is out of focus as it falls on the retina. In children, this sends signals for the eyes to react and grow bigger to compensate for the focus. But the result of this is an INCREASE in myopia thus making it a vicious circle for some children. MiSight lenses have a zone of focus that is different to normal lenses for short-sightedness, resulting in the light reaching the retina to has a different focus (called defocus). 21, 22
This defocus inhibits the signals the stimulate eyeball growth thereby suppressing the increase of myopia safely, without applying mechanical force to the eyes. (See the dangers of Orthokeratology/Ortho-K)
What research and evidence is there about the effect of MiSight lenses?
Our results
After offering our myopia control programme combined with MiSight lenses for 1 year. 80% of children wearing lenses regularly had NO CHANGE in their prescription, 7% had a change of less than -0.25DS and 13% had a change between -0.50 and -1.00DS (this is still less than not wearing the lenses.)
These lenses have been in development for over 12 years. The first major study was published at the beginning of 2017 and had spanned over 3 years. The researchers showed that the lenses slowed myopia progression by 59% compared to wearing traditional soft lenses. There are more studies being conducted worldwide as more children embark on myopia control programmes. 1
At what age can children start wearing contact lenses for myopia control?
We routinely fit children from the age of 6 years of age. If the child is short-sighted at a younger age it would be in their best interest of the child to begin a myopia control programme.
Are contact lenses safe for children?
They are extremely safe for children to wear. A study published in 2017 by Mark Bullimore found that the rate of serious infection with contact lens wear was lower in children aged 8 to 12 than adults. 25
Do MiSight lenses correct astigmatism?
Not yet, there are some alternative contact lenses that have myopia control properties and correct astigmatism. These are available on a daily wear monthly disposable format. Rest assured that Central Vision Opticians will have exclusive access to any new contact lenses available that control myopia.
Are MiSight contact lenses the only option for myopia control?
No. But they are safer to wear than the alternative options, such as orthokeratology (OrthoK). Read more here:
Can I buy MiSight from any opticians practice?
No, it is essential to find a practitioner who is experienced in fitting children with contact lenses and also understand myopia. The optometrist must also be able to assess the other factors in myopia progression, such as binocular vision or focusing difficulties Read more here: Our award-winning myopia control consultant, Bhavin Shah, is renowned world-wide for his experience with myopia. Our results are astonishing, over the last year, 80% of children on our myopia control programme had no change in their myopia.
How much do MiSight contact lenses cost?
Its more important to remember the cost of not controlling myopia. Blurred vision has a huge impact on a child’s education and ability to learn. High myopia increases the risk of blindness in adults, by upto 40 times in about 1 in 5 people with myopia. To find out more about the cost click here>>
Myopia control: Call 020 8343 1122 to book an appointment for your child
References:
- Clinical evaluation of a dual-focus myopia control 1-day soft contact lens – 2-year results. Nov 2016. Chamberlain P, et al.
- Six Year Refractive Change among White Children and Young Adults: Evidence for Significant Increase in Myopia among White UK Children Sara Jayne Mccullough, Lisa O'Donoghue, Kathryn J Saunders
- The impact of myopia and high myopia. Report of the Joint World Health Organization-Brien Holden Vision Institute Global Scientific Meeting on Myopia.
- Mumsnet research on behalf of Johnson and Johnson Visioncare: Parent’s & children’s views and attitudes about vision correction. 2013
- Myopia and incident cataract and cataract surgery: the blue mountains eye study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002 Younan C1, Mitchell P, Cumming RG, Rochtchina E, Wang JJ.
- The relationship between refractive errors and retinal detachment--analysis of 1,166 retinal detachment cases. Ogawa A1, Tanaka M.
- Prevalence and progression of myopic retinopathy in an older population, April2002 Jerry Vongphanit, Paul Mitchell, Paul Mitchell, Jie Jin Wang
- Risk Factors for Open-Angle Glaucoma in a Japanese Population. October 2006 Yasuyuki Suzuki et al
- Causes and Three-year Incidence of Irreversible Visual Impairment in Jing-An District, Shanghai, China from 2010-2015: Fei Xia, Wu Liangcheng, Chenghai Weng, Xingtao Zhou
- Role of Parental Myopia in the Progression of Myopia and Its Interaction with Treatment in COMET Children March 2007 Daniel Kurtz, Leslie Hyman, Jane E Gwiazda et al
- Myopia prevalence in Canadian school children: a pilot study February 2018 Mike Yang, Doerte Luensmann, Desmond Fonn, Lyndon W Jones et al
- Violet Light Transmission is Related to Myopia Progression in Adult High Myopia December 2017 Hidemasa Torii, Kazuhiko Ohnuma, Toshihide Kurihara et al
- Peripheral refraction with different designs of progressive soft contact lenses in myopes, Kareem Allinjawi, Sharanjeet-Kaur, Saadah Mohamed Akhir, Haliza Abdul Mutalib
- Accommodative Lag before and after the Onset of Myopia April 2006 Donald O. Mutti, et al and the CLEERE Study Group
- Accommodation functions that predict myopia in young adults: April 2004 Daniel O'Leary, Peter M Allen
- Effect of Accommodation on Peripheral Eye Lengths of Emmetropes and Myopes 2017. Aldossari H, et al
- Accommodation-induced intraocular pressure changes in progressing myopes and emmetropes. Yan L, et al. 2014
- Myopic children with esophoria underaccommodate at near: February 1996 J. Gwiazda Frank Thorn Richard m Held et al
- Insufficient Accommodation and Near Esophoria: Precursors or Concomitants of Juvenile-Onset Myopia? January 1998 Jane Gwiazda, Kenneth Grice, Richard m Held et al
- Near esophoria is associated with high myopia March 2000 Clinical and Experimental Optometry Kah Meng Chungm, Eileen Chong
- Risk Factors for Childhood Myopia: Findings From the NICER Study: February 2015 Lisa O'Donoghue, Venediktos V Kapetanankis, Julie F McClelland, Alicja R Rudnicka
- Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) lens slows myopia progression in Hong Kong Chinese schoolchildren: A 2-year randomised clinical trial October 2013 Carly Siu-Yin Lam, Wing Chun Tang, Dennis Y Tse, Chi HO To
- Controlling myopia progression in children and adolescents August 2015 Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics Molly J Smith, Jeffrey J Walline
- Emerging trends in contact lens-related infections: May 2016 Natalie Cheung, Parveen Nagra, Kristin Hammersmith
- The Safety of Soft Contact Lenses in Children May 2017. Mark A Bullimore
The process is extremely easy:
- We start with a free comfort trial after their sight test by applying a pair of the lenses on your child’s eyes
- If this is successful and your child is happy with the vision (about 85% of kids are at this stage) we progress to booking a longer contact lens fitting where we take measurements of the eyes and ensure that the front surface is healthy enough to handle contact lens wear.
- At this point, most children are ready and eager to wear the lenses. We teach them how to take the lenses in and out safely.
- If they can manage that successfully, we give them a week’s supply of contact lenses to try and then review their eyes and lenses again to be 100% sure everything is good. At this point, we can order a supply of lenses.
- The lenses need to be worn at least 12 hours a day for 6-7 days a week to get the benefit of the myopia control.
Reduced myopia progression
Myopia control contact lenses help to slow down the rate of change. 80% of kids only showed no increase during the first year.
Protection of the eyes
Myopia increases the risk of several diseases of the eyes including glaucoma and retinal detachment. By controlling myopia, this risk will be reduced.
Easy and safe to use
These contact lenses are easy to use. Daily replacement means that the risk of infection is extremely low.