How Myopia Treatment Plans are Personalized for Every Child at Express Vision

Myopia (nearsightedness) is becoming increasingly common in children, but myopia is not just about needing glasses. Higher levels of myopia increase the risk of developing serious eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration.

We now have several proven treatments to slow down myopia progression in children, which may consist of one or a combination of these treatments. Combination therapy for myopia control may offer even stronger protection if your child’s nearsightedness is progressing quickly.

Myopia Management

Myopia management focuses on slowing down the growth of the eye (axial elongation), which is what causes prescriptions to get worse over time. Instead of updating glasses each year, we use specialized myopia control treatments designed to reduce the progression of nearsightedness.

Evidence-based options include:

• Myopia control spectacle lenses (Stellest^TM)

• Myopia control soft-contact lenses (MiSight^TM)

• Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) overnight lenses

• Low-dose atropine eye drops

Each with the same goal of controlling myopia progression but in different ways, combining treatments can often enhance results.

What Is Combination Therapy?

Combination therapy means using two myopia control treatments at the same time to help slow eye growth through different mechanisms. In myopia management, combination therapy may be especially helpful for children whose prescriptions are quickly increasing year over year.

Common combinations include:

• Myopia control glasses + Low-dose atropine

• Ortho-K lenses + Low-dose atropine

• Myopia control soft contact lenses + Low-dose atropine

How Myopia Control Glasses Lenses Help

Standard glasses correct distance vision but can still send signals that encourage the eye to grow longer (axial elongation). Myopia control lenses are specially engineered to change how light focuses on a child’s peripheral (side) vision, telling the eye to “stop” growing.

Myopia control lenses are designed to:

• Provide clear central vision

• Send signals that help slow eye growth

• Be worn comfortably all day

It is a simple, non-invasive starting point and works well for many children.

How Ortho-K Works (And Why It Pairs Well)

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) uses specially designed contact lenses worn overnight. While your child sleeps, the lenses gently reshape the front surface of the eye (cornea). In the morning, the lenses are removed, and your child can see clearly during the day without glasses or daytime contacts.

Ortho-K also has a Myopia Control effect, it also changes how light focuses on the peripheral retina, which helps slow axial elongation. Because of this, Ortho-K is both a vision correction and a myopia control treatment. For children with faster progression, combining Ortho-K & Low-dose atropine may provide an added level of control by addressing both optical and biological factors.

What Does Low-Dose Atropine Add?

While researchers are still studying the exact mechanism, atropine has consistently been shown to slow myopia progression. Low-dose atropine eye drops are typically used once nightly and when used alongside myopia control glasses or Ortho-K, atropine enhances the myopia control effect. This dual approach may be especially useful for children whose myopia continues to worsen despite one treatment alone.

Which Children Might Need Combination Therapy?

Not every child needs multiple treatments right away. But combination therapy may be recommended if a child:

• Is progressing quickly

• Developed myopia at a young age

• Has at least one parent with high myopia

• Continues to progress despite treatment

In these cases, adding therapies may help be more proactive in protecting long-term eye health.

Is It Safe to Combine Treatments?

When supervised by an eye care professional experienced in myopia management, it is completely safe. When undergoing combination therapy for myopia control, you can expect:

• Myopia control glasses are worn like regular glasses

• Ortho-K lenses are carefully fitted and monitored

• Myopia control soft-contact lenses are worn during the day, like regular contacts

• Low-dose atropine is used in very small concentrations to minimize side effects

Some children using atropine may initially notice mild light sensitivity or slight near blur, but these effects are typically minimal and manageable.
 

Regular follow-up visits are essential to monitor prescription changes, eye growth, and treatment effectiveness.

Why Acting Early Makes a Big Difference

The earlier we intervene with myopia management, the more we can reduce how high a child’s prescription becomes. Even slowing progression by a small amount each year can significantly lower the risk of eye diseases later in life.

By combining myopia control glasses, Ortho-K, myopia control soft-contact lenses or low-dose atropine when appropriate, we can build a personalized plan based on how your child’s eyes are growing.

If your child’s prescription seems to increase at every visit, it may be time to look beyond standard glasses. Book a comprehensive myopia evaluation with one of our doctors at Express Vision today to help determine whether myopia control combination therapy is right for your child.