What is Myopia Management?

At WesternU Health, we understand the importance of having a happy, healthy child. We know that vision changes a child’s world. Eyesight allows a child to see the faces of their loved ones, to learn, to play. The Eye Care Institute at WesternU Health is proud to offer a new service for children age 6-18 years of age, The Myopia Management Clinic.

Vision is a complex process. It involves much more than just seeing the letters on a chart. Vision is involved with 80% of our learning. Without an efficient visual system, we are not able to meet the demands we face in school, our career, sports or life in general.

25% of students in grades K-6 have visual problems that are serious enough to impede learning – American Public Health Association

The WesternU Health Eye Care Institute provides care to a diverse population of patients of all ages. Patients benefit from the latest care and technology as part of a rich, humanistic tradition that emphasizes respect, compassion, and high quality.

Myopia is commonly known as nearsightedness. It usually occurs during childhood when eyeballs are growing. Myopia causes poor long-distance vision. The eyeball is either longer than normal, or the cornea is too curved, both causing some images to be blurry. It is a chronic, progressive disease, that typically gets worse over time, if appropriate interventions are delayed. Untreated Myopia increases the risk of retinal disease which can lead to retinal tear, retinal detachment, maculopathy, cataracts and glaucoma.

How Myopia May Impact My Child’s Life?

  • Delayed Academic Performance
  • Self-Esteem Issues
  • Challenges with Athletic Activities (contact lenses fall out, broken eyeglasses, eye injury)
  • Increases Risk for Eye Disease
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Myopic Patients @ WesternU Health

The Myopia Management Clinic at WesternU provides primary care for children 6-18 years of age, those with glasses, and/or active in sports. Adults can also be treated in our Myopia Management Clinic as well. Please contact our clinic to make an appointment to see what options are right for you.

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Why Does My Child Have Myopia?

  • Increased screen time – School aged children who spend 7 hours per week or more using computers, tablets, mobile devices, and video games triple their risk for myopia.
  • Less time spent outdoors – Studies show a deficiency in natural sunlight exposure could contribute to the recent increase in myopia prevalence in children.
  • Parents – There is a 25% chance that a child will develop myopia if one parent is myopic. That number jumps to 50% if both are myopic.
Myopia in the World Today

There are 14 million kids in the U.S. with nearsightedness. In the early 1970s, only 25% of Americans were nearsighted, while current estimates show about 40% of Americans are now myopic. The fastest growing prevalence of myopia are among school-aged children. By 2050, it is estimated that 58% of the North American population will be myopic.

  • 1 in 4 parents have a child with myopia.
  • During the ages of 6-12, children’s eyes are growing the fastest.
  • About three-quarters of children with myopia were diagnosed between the ages of 3 and 12.
  • Genes play a role in whether a child develops myopia.
  • Among some populations, such as East Asian and Southeast Asian children, the incidence of myopia is likely to be even higher, in line with the incidence of myopia in those countries.
How Is Myopia Diagnosed?

Our team of optometrists, optometry students and technicians aims to prevent or slow the progression of your child’s myopia through collaborative care based on the best and most current research.

Comprehensive eye exams help detect eye conditions, like myopia, early. Exams are completed by an optometry student and optometrist using specialized equipment and procedures.

What Are The Treatment Options for Myopia Progression?

Benefits of a myopia control & management approach include improvements to vision, appearance, lifestyle, self-esteem, and potentially improved academic performance.

Treatment Options Include:

  1. Pharmacological Method – Atropine eye drops
  2. Increasing Time Spent Outdoors
  3. Daytime or Nighttime (Orthokeratology) Contact Lenses
  4. Specialized Myopia Control Spectacles
How to make an appointment?

Call the Eye Care Institute at WesternU Health, 909-706-3899 option 2, to schedule a comprehensive eye exam with the Myopia Control Department (we do not have online appointments at this time.)

Patient Care Center
WesternU Eye Care Institute

795 E Second Street, Suite 2
Pomona, CA 91766

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What to bring on your first appointment?

It is best that the patient bring their current eyeglasses and contact lenses.  However, we prefer that the patient not wear their contact lens to the appointment if possible.

Practitioner Referral

If you are a health care provider who wants to refer a patient or has questions, please contact:

Dr. Nolan Ng
Chief of Cornea & Contact Lenses
nng@westernu.edu
909-706-3899

Portrait Dr. Nolan Ng