Myopia control for children – Hoya MiyoSmart lenses

MiyoSmart® is a new non-invasive myopia management solution for children of all ages. Now available in New Zealand from John O’Connor Optometrists, MiyoSmart lenses can potentially curb your child’s myopia progression by an average of 60%.

What is myopia?

myopic eye

Myopia, or shortsightedness happens when the eye grows too long. Very simply put, if the eye is too long, the lens of the eye focuses the image in front of the retina instead of on top of it. People with myopia see things that are up close clearly, whereas far objects are blurry. Myopia causes eyestrain, which can lead to headaches and chronic eye conditions in older adults. 

Myopia is a progressive condition and will get worse over time.

Causes of myopia

Researchers estimate that by 2050, 4.8 billion people – or almost half of Earth’s population – will be shortsighted.

Eyecare specialists are diagnosing myopia in children at younger and younger ages and the incidence of high myopia is increasing. Myopia is progressing most among children between six and 12 years of age.

Myopia is generally an inherited condition, especially if both parents are near-sighted. However, a Singapore Eye Research Institute found the recent dramatic increase in the prevalence of myopia worldwide can be attributed to the frequency of near-work activities that children do on various devices and screens and a lack of time spent outdoors.

Without early myopia management, children can develop higher myopia – legal blindness without glasses or contact lenses – as they age and they will be more vulnerable to eye problems such myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts.

Myopia control

Traditionally, the treatment for myopia has included spectacles, eye drops, contact lenses, orthokeratology or soft multifocal contact lenses. But now MiyoSmart® lenses, developed by Hoya together with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, provide children and parents with a new outlook. These lenses use the award-winning D.I.M.S. (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments) technology to control myopia progression.

How do MiyoSmart® lenses work?

MiyoSmart lenses are a non-invasive method that effectively manages the progression of myopia. They look and feel just like spectacle lenses, but they work very differently. The lenses use the natural homeostatic mechanism in the eye called ’emmetropisation’ which allows the eyeball to modify itself to receive focused images, just like normal vision.

A recent trial done on children aged eight to 13 years old saw their myopia progression reduced by an average of 60 per cent after two years wearing spectacles with MiyoSmart lenses. While myopia progression did not stop completely, it was significantly reduced. Children wearing these lenses had much less progression in their myopia as compared to those wearing single vision lenses.

Are they OK for busy NZ kids?

myopia control for children

MiyoSmart® lenses are safe. Designed for children, they are made from thin, light material, are impact resistant, and come with UV protection, vital in New Zealand. Their water-repellent and anti-reflective coating make them easy to maintain and wipe clean.

Early, customised intervention myopia control plans have proven that the progression of myopia can be significantly slowed down or even stopped, and the subsequent risks from associated diseases also reduced.

Get an eye test

Early diagnosis of myopia can save your child’s sight. Book an eye test by calling our Newmarket optometrist on 09 522 1283, Henderson Optometrists on 09 836 1731 or sending us an email via our contact page. What is myopia? We’d be happy to talk you through the causes and how MiyoSmart lenses can help.