If your child’s myopia seems to get worse every year, there are ways to slow it down.
The right myopia management choice depends on your child’s age, lifestyle, and comfort with handling contacts. MiSight lenses offer daytime wear convenience, ortho-k provides contact-free days, and Stellest glasses deliver technology for kids who prefer durable orange stylishframes.
At Urban Optique & Eyecare, we provide comprehensive evaluations to help families choose the right myopia management approach for their child’s needs.
What Are Your Child’s Myopia Management Options?
MiSight Contact Lenses
MiSight lenses are daily disposable soft contacts specifically designed for myopia control. The FDA has approved them for children ages 8-12, though some eye doctors fit them for older kids too.
MiSight lenses use a dual focus design. The central zone corrects vision, while the outer zones focus light in a way that creates what we call myopic defocus. Myopica defocus signals the eye to slow its front-to-back growth (a factor that makes myopia worse over time).
MiSight contacts are worn during the day and are disposable, meaning that you throw each pair away at the end of the day. There’s no cleaning or storage needed.
Ortho-K Lenses
Ortho-k lenses are hard contacts that your child wears overnight while sleeping. These lenses gently reshape the cornea, temporarily correcting vision.
When your child wakes up and removes the lenses, they’ll be able to see clearly during the day. The effect lasts about 24 hours.
Ortho-k lenses have been shown to slow the progression of myopia.
Stellest Lenses by Essilor
Urban Optique & Eyecare was one of the first in Arizona to offer Stellest Lenses. These lenses are designed for myopia management, but can be cut to fit the frames that your child chooses. They have a central vision area that corrects your child’s vision (much like normal glasses) and an outer area that uses aspherical lenslets to slow myopia progression by up to 67%.
Stellest lenses should be worn at least 12 hours a day.
Which Option Fits Your Child’s Lifestyle?
Daily Routine Considerations
MiSight requires your child to insert and remove contacts during their morning and evening routines. They’ll need to wash their hands and handle the lenses twice daily.
Ortho-k needs lens care at bedtime and upon waking.
Stellest glasses simply need to be worn for 12+ hours each day, with normal cleaning.
Age & Maturity Factors
Active kids often benefit from the contact-free daytime vision that ortho-k provides. Responsible teens usually handle MiSight daily replacement well. Age considerations play an important role in contact lens success.
Sports & Activity Benefits
Ortho-k offers unrestricted daytime activities without worrying about losing or breaking contacts. Your child can swim, play contact sports, and participate in any activity with clear vision.
MiSight allows flexibility for swimming and water sports, since you can simply remove the daily lenses. Stellest glasses work well with most recreational activities, but may need sports straps for active play.
What Results Can You Expect?
Myopia Progression Control
Both MiSight and ortho-k can slow myopia progression significantly compared to regular glasses or contacts. Results vary based on your child’s individual eye characteristics and how consistently they use the treatment.
Starting treatment earlier typically results in better long-term outcomes.
Vision Quality & Comfort
MiSight provides consistent all-day vision correction, as your child wears the lenses during waking hours. Most kids adapt to the feel of soft contacts within a few days.
Ortho-k may cause slight vision fluctuations during the first few weeks as your child’s eyes adjust to the reshaping process. Most children adapt quickly and enjoy the freedom of clear daytime vision without contacts.
How to Choose the Right Treatment
Professional Evaluation Process
A comprehensive eye exam measures how fast your child’s myopia is progressing and determines which treatments might work well. Corneal mapping shows whether your child’s eye shape is suitable for ortho-k lenses.
Our eye care team will discuss your family’s lifestyle, schedule, and preferences with you to help guide your decision. We’ll also consider your child’s age, maturity level, and comfort with contact lenses, and we’ll perform a children’s eye exams to get the detailed information we need to help you make an informed choice.
Making the Decision Together
When deciding whether to choose contact lenses, think about your child’s comfort level with putting in and removing contacts daily. Consider your family’s morning process and whether adding a contact lens routine would create stress.
Our team at Urban Optique & Eyecare can guide you through all the options and help you choose an approach that fits your child’s needs. We provide thorough training and follow-up care to help your child succeed with whichever treatment you choose together.
