Ortho-K
Orthokeratology lenses are specially designed rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses that are worn overnight and taken off in the morning. They temporarily reshape the corneas while your child sleeps. This altered shape corrects their myopia so that prescription glasses and normal daytime contact lenses don’t need to be worn during the day. The Paragon CRT Contact Lenses are the first therapeutic lens design approved by the FDA for overnight orthokeratology for the temporary reduction of myopia. Some adaptation is required during the first two weeks of lens wear and there is a small chance of an eye infection with ortho-k lenses, although the risk is very low (less than one case per 500 years of wear).
Multifocal Soft Contact Lenses
Soft multifocal contact lenses are worn during the day only and are often prescribed to help people over 40 years of age read clearly as well as see in the distance. Specific types of soft multifocal contact lenses are effective in slowing myopia progression in children. The Brilliant Futures Myopia Management Program is a comprehensive approach to myopia management built around the MiSight 1 day contact lenses, the first and only contact lens FDA-approved to slow progression of myopia in children. The MiSight 1 day is a soft contact lens that uses ActivControl Technology to slow the elongation of the eyes. ActivControl Technology simultaneously corrects a child’s vision while training the eye to resist growing in length. Your child’s vision may be slightly less clear with these contact lenses, but this is usually not a problem and adaptation occurs quickly. There are no other risks compared to other contact lenses.
Atropine Eye Drop Therapy
Atropine is a prescription eye drop, similar to the ones used to dilate the eyes for an exam. In lower concentrations (as low as 0.01%), atropine has been found to be highly effective at reducing myopia with no discernible side effects. Atropine therapy is safe, and an ideal choice for children who are too young to begin ortho-k. Also, atropine can be effectively combined with other methods of myopia control.