Myopia Control
Understanding Childhood Myopia
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is becoming increasingly common in children, with rates rising significantly in recent decades. At Unia Opticians, we offer specialist myopia control services designed to slow the progression of short-sightedness and protect your child’s long-term eye health.
Myopia typically develops in childhood and can progress rapidly during the growing years, often worsening until the late teens or early twenties. Higher levels of myopia increase the risk of serious eye conditions later in life, making early intervention increasingly important.
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Why Myopia Control Matters
The goal of myopia control is not to reverse existing short-sightedness but to slow its progression, reducing the final prescription your child ends up with. This matters because higher myopia levels significantly increase the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration in adulthood.
Even slowing myopia progression by one or two dioptres can substantially reduce these risks. By intervening now whilst your child’s eyes are still developing, we can make a meaningful difference to their eye health throughout their entire life.
Evidence-Based Treatment Options
We use clinically proven methods to manage myopia progression, including specialist contact lenses, atropine therapy, and lifestyle modifications. Our approach is based on the latest research and tailored to your child’s individual needs, age, and lifestyle.
Specialist myopia control contact lenses work by creating specific optical signals that slow eye growth, whilst overnight orthokeratology lenses gently reshape the cornea during sleep, providing clear daytime vision without glasses or lenses. We’ll discuss all available options with you and recommend the approach most likely to benefit your child.
Comprehensive Monitoring and Support
Managing myopia is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring to track effectiveness and adjust treatment as needed. We provide scheduled follow-up appointments to measure your child’s eye growth, assess how well the treatment is working, and make any necessary modifications.
These appointments also allow us to monitor your child’s overall eye health and ensure they’re adapting well to their chosen treatment. Our caring, child-friendly approach makes appointments comfortable and straightforward, helping young patients feel relaxed and engaged in their own eye care.
Starting Early for Best Results
Research shows that myopia control is most effective when started early, ideally as soon as significant myopia is detected or when progression is first noticed. If your child has been diagnosed with myopia, if their prescription is increasing rapidly, or if there’s a family history of short-sightedness, we recommend a myopia control consultation. Even if your child’s myopia seems mild now, taking action early can prevent it from progressing to higher levels that carry greater risks and limitations.
Invest in Your Child’s Visual Future.
Schedule a myopia control consultation today and discover how we can help protect your child’s vision for life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is myopia control and why does my child need it?
Myopia control is a specialist service offered at Unia Opticians in St James’s Park, London, designed to slow the progression of short-sightedness in children and protect their long-term eye health. Understanding why this matters requires looking beyond simply providing clear vision with glasses.
What is myopia?
Myopia, or short-sightedness, occurs when the eye grows too long, causing distant objects to appear blurred. It typically develops in childhood and can progress rapidly during the growing years, often worsening until the late teens or early twenties.
Why myopia rates are rising:
Myopia is becoming increasingly common in children, with rates rising significantly in recent decades. This trend is linked to lifestyle factors including increased near work (reading, screens, devices) and reduced time spent outdoors.
Why myopia control matters:
The goal of myopia control is not to reverse existing short-sightedness but to slow its progression, reducing the final prescription your child ends up with. This is crucial because higher levels of myopia significantly increase the risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including:
- Retinal detachment: Higher myopia increases risk substantially
- Glaucoma: Progressive optic nerve damage leading to vision loss
- Cataracts: Earlier onset and more severe
- Macular degeneration: Myopic macular degeneration can cause severe vision loss
When to consider myopia control:
- Your child has been diagnosed with myopia
- Their prescription is increasing rapidly at successive eye tests
- There’s a family history of short-sightedness
- Your child is young (the earlier intervention begins, the more effective it tends to be)
Beyond stronger glasses:
Without intervention, the traditional approach has been simply to prescribe stronger glasses as myopia progresses. Myopia control represents a proactive approach actively working to slow progression rather than just correcting vision as it worsens.
At Unia Opticians, we use evidence-based, clinically proven methods tailored to your child’s individual needs. A myopia control consultation will help you understand your child’s specific situation and which treatment options are most appropriate.
At what age should myopia control treatment start?
Research shows that myopia control is most effective when started early, ideally as soon as significant myopia is detected or when progression is first noticed. At Unia Opticians in St James’s Park, London, we recommend considering myopia control as soon as your child shows signs of developing or progressing short-sightedness.
Why early intervention matters:
Maximum effectiveness: Myopia typically progresses most rapidly during childhood and the early teenage years. Intervening during this critical period, when the eyes are actively growing, offers the greatest opportunity to slow progression and reduce the final prescription level.
Cumulative benefit: The earlier treatment begins, the more years of slowed progression your child benefits from. Even modest slowing each year accumulates into significant reduction in final myopia level over the course of childhood and adolescence.
Risk reduction: By keeping final myopia levels lower, early intervention substantially reduces the lifetime risk of serious eye conditions including retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration.
Typical age ranges for different treatments:
Specialist myopia control contact lenses: Generally suitable from around age 8-10 onwards, depending on the child’s maturity and ability to handle lenses responsibly. Some children successfully start even younger with appropriate support.
Orthokeratology (overnight lenses): Similar age range to daytime myopia control lenses. Requires good manual dexterity and the maturity to follow proper lens hygiene protocols.
Atropine therapy: Can be started in younger children, even before they’re ready for contact lenses. Often used as a first-line treatment in younger patients or combined with other approaches.
Signs your child should have a myopia control consultation:
- Diagnosed with myopia at a young age: Early onset often indicates higher risk of significant progression
- Rapid prescription changes: If your child’s prescription is increasing noticeably at each eye examination (every 6-12 months)
- Family history: Parents or siblings with moderate to high myopia suggest genetic predisposition
- Lifestyle factors: High amounts of near work, screen time, or limited outdoor activity
It’s rarely too late:
Whilst earlier intervention offers maximum benefit, myopia control can still be valuable for older children and teenagers whose eyes are still developing. Even if your child is already in their early teens, slowing remaining progression can still make a meaningful difference.
The consultation process:
At Unia Opticians, a myopia control consultation involves:
- Comprehensive assessment of your child’s current prescription and eye health
- Measurement of eye growth and progression rate
- Discussion of family history and lifestyle factors
- Explanation of suitable treatment options for your child’s age and circumstances
- Realistic expectations about outcomes
Don’t wait:
If your child has been diagnosed with myopia or you’ve noticed their prescription increasing, we recommend scheduling a myopia control consultation promptly. Even if their myopia seems mild now, taking action early can prevent it from progressing to higher levels that carry greater risks and limitations.
Contact Unia Opticians today to arrange a consultation and discover how we can help protect your child’s visual future.
How do you monitor if myopia control treatment is working?
At Unia Opticians managing myopia is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring to track effectiveness and adjust treatment as needed. We provide comprehensive, scheduled follow-up appointments to ensure your child’s myopia control treatment is working optimally.
What we measure and monitor:
Eye growth (axial length): The most accurate way to assess myopia progression is measuring the length of the eye. Myopia occurs because the eye grows too long, so tracking axial length changes tells us precisely how much the eye is growing and whether treatment is effectively slowing this growth.
Prescription changes: We regularly check your child’s prescription to monitor any increases in their level of short-sightedness. Comparing prescription changes to expected progression rates (based on age, initial prescription, and other factors) helps us assess treatment effectiveness.
Overall eye health: Each monitoring appointment includes comprehensive eye health checks using our advanced diagnostic equipment, including slit lamp biomicroscopy and, where appropriate, OCT scanning and retinal imaging. This ensures we’re not only tracking myopia but also monitoring overall ocular health.
Treatment adaptation: We assess how well your child is adapting to their chosen treatment, whether that’s contact lenses, orthokeratology, or atropine therapy. Comfort, compliance, and any issues are discussed and addressed.
Typical monitoring schedule:
Initial phase (first 3-6 months): More frequent appointments to ensure proper adaptation to treatment and assess initial response. This might include:
- 1-2 weeks after starting treatment
- 1 month follow-up
- 3-month assessment
Ongoing monitoring (after initial phase): Typically every 6 months, though this may vary based on:
- Your child’s age and rate of progression
- Type of treatment being used
- How well treatment is working
- Any concerns or issues that arise
What success looks like:
Complete cessation of myopia progression is rare, and shouldn’t necessarily be the expectation. Success means:
- Slowed progression: The rate of myopia increase is significantly reduced compared to expected progression without treatment
- Reduced final prescription: Over the treatment period, your child ends up with a lower final prescription than they would have without intervention
- Good tolerance: Your child adapts well to treatment with minimal disruption to daily life
Research indicates that effective myopia control can slow progression by 30-60% on average, though results vary between individuals.
Adjusting treatment:
If monitoring reveals that progression isn’t being adequately controlled, we can:
- Modify the current treatment approach
- Combine treatments (for example, adding atropine to contact lens therapy)
- Switch to an alternative treatment method
- Adjust lifestyle factors
Parental involvement:
We keep parents fully informed throughout the monitoring process, explaining results clearly and discussing any adjustments needed. You’ll understand how well treatment is working and what the measurements mean for your child’s long-term eye health.
Regular, thorough monitoring at Unia Opticians ensures your child receives the maximum benefit from myopia control treatment, with adjustments made as needed to protect their vision for life.
How do I arrange a myopia control consultation at Unia Opticians?
To arrange a myopia control consultation for your child at Unia Opticians, please contact the practice directly, or request an appointment online. We’ll schedule a comprehensive appointment to assess your child’s eyes and discuss the most appropriate treatment options for their individual circumstances.
What to expect at the consultation:
Comprehensive eye examination: If your child hasn’t had a recent eye test, we’ll begin with a thorough examination including:
- Detailed prescription assessment
- Eye health evaluation using slit lamp biomicroscopy
- Assessment of focusing and eye coordination
- Measurement of eye growth (axial length) to establish baseline data
Discussion of history and concerns: We’ll discuss:
- When your child’s myopia was first detected
- How quickly their prescription has been changing
- Family history of short-sightedness
- Your child’s lifestyle, activities, and visual demands
- Any concerns you have about their vision or eye health
Explanation of myopia and progression risks: We’ll help you understand:
- What myopia is and why it progresses
- The specific risks associated with higher levels of myopia
- How myopia control works to slow progression
- Realistic expectations about outcomes
Treatment options tailored to your child: Based on your child’s age, prescription, lifestyle, and individual needs, we’ll discuss suitable treatment options including:
- Specialist myopia control contact lenses
- Orthokeratology (overnight corneal reshaping lenses)
- Atropine therapy
- Lifestyle modifications
We’ll explain how each option works, the expected effectiveness, practical considerations, and costs involved.
Questions and decision-making: You’ll have ample opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns. We’ll never pressure you into immediate decisions—you can take time to consider the information and discuss it as a family.
Next steps: If you decide to proceed with treatment, we’ll arrange:
- Fitting appointments (for contact lens options)
- Training in lens insertion, removal, and care (where applicable)
- Follow-up schedule for monitoring
- Clear instructions and support materials
What to bring to the appointment:
- Your child’s current glasses
- Any previous prescriptions or eye examination records
- List of any medications your child takes
- Your child’s NHS number (if applicable)
- Questions or concerns you’d like to discuss
How long to allow: Initial myopia control consultations typically take 45-60 minutes to allow thorough assessment and unhurried discussion of options.
NHS eligibility: Children under 16 are entitled to free NHS eye tests. However, myopia control treatments (specialist contact lenses, orthokeratology, atropine therapy) are typically private services not covered by the NHS. We’ll discuss all costs transparently during your consultation.
Our location: Unia Opticians is conveniently located in St James’s Park, London, easily accessible via St James’s Park Underground station (Circle and District lines) and nearby Victoria Station.
Why choose Unia Opticians for myopia control:
- Evidence-based treatments using clinically proven methods
- Advanced diagnostic equipment including OCT for comprehensive assessment
- Experienced practitioners specialising in children’s eye care
- Child-friendly, caring approach that helps young patients feel comfortable
- Comprehensive ongoing monitoring and support
- Personalised treatment plans tailored to individual needs
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