Specialty Eye Care
Myopia Control
Myopia Is Increasing in Children
Up to 80% of a child’s learning happens through vision. From reading the board at school and using tablets, to sports and outdoor play, children rely on clear distance vision every day.
Myopia (nearsightedness) makes it difficult to see far away — and more children than ever are being diagnosed. Today, nearly 30% of children are myopic, and research suggests close to half of the world’s population may be nearsighted by 2050.
The good news? Myopia doesn’t have to progress unchecked. With modern myopia control strategies, we can help slow its progression and protect your child’s eye health long term.
At Academy Optical, we’re proud to offer evidence-based myopia management options to help your child see clearly today and into the future.
What Is Myopia?
Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a refractive error where distance vision becomes blurry while near vision remains clear.
It develops when the eye grows too long or the cornea is too curved, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. Myopia usually begins in school-aged children and can continue to worsen as they grow.
Higher levels of myopia increase the risk of future eye health concerns such as:
- Retinal detachment
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
- Early cataracts
That’s why early detection and active management are so important. During your child’s eye exam, we monitor growth patterns, prescription changes, and visual habits to create a customized myopia control plan that fits your child’s lifestyle.
Myopia Control Options at Academy Optical
Atropine Eye Drops
We may prescribe a customized atropine treatment plan to help reduce how quickly your child’s prescription changes over time. The drops are typically used once daily and are safe, well-studied, and easy to incorporate into your child’s routine.
MiYOSMART / Stellest Lenses
At Academy Optical, we offer more than one myopia control lens because every child’s eyes grow differently. While MiYOSMART and Stellest lenses share the same goal — slowing the progression of myopia, they use different optical designs to achieve it.
Both lenses provide clear central vision while managing how light focuses in the peripheral areas of the eye. This helps send a signal to the eye to slow excessive growth, which is the main cause of worsening nearsightedness in children.
The difference lies in the technology behind them:
MiYOSMART uses HOYA’s D.I.M.S. (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments) design, which places multiple small defocus segments around the centre of the lens.
Stellest uses Essilor’s H.A.L.T. (Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target) design, made of thousands of tiny, aspherical lenslets arranged in a special pattern around the central zone.
They look like regular glasses, making them comfortable and easy for kids to wear every day.
Soft Contact Lenses for Myopia Control
These zones help focus both central and peripheral vision in a way that slows eye growth and reduces myopia progression. Because they’re daily disposable, they’re hygienic, kid-friendly, and require no cleaning or storage.
Many children love the freedom they provide for sports and active lifestyles.
Beyond Lenses: Healthy Vision Habits
In addition to treatment, we also guide families on lifestyle strategies that support eye development, including:
- Increasing outdoor time
- Taking regular screen breaks
- Proper reading distance and posture
- Limiting prolonged close-up device use
Myopia control works best when treatment and healthy habits work together.
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Let us help you see and look your best.