The short answer is that at this time, NO, myopia progression cannot be stopped completely!
However, to borrow a phrase from recent popular culture, we can "flatten the curve" of myopia progression so that today's children are less likely to become tomorrow's victims of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration! These eye problems are more likely to present themselves after 40 years of age - but the seeds of these problems go back to their elementary school days in many cases. We can alter the course of history for the kids for when they become adults - but they will have their hands tied when they are faced with these problems as older adults because at that point it's "water over the dam".
On a practical level, myopia management is the doctor prescribing, and the patient USING the prescribed modality to decrease the progression (not completely stop the progression) of myopia that would occur to the child if left to conventional means of correction (regular eyeglasses or regular contact lenses).
The main means of intervention in myopia management are 1) bifocal eyeglasses (there are specifics about this that will be the topic of a later post), 2) special contact lenses that cause peripheral myopic defocus such as the Cooper MiSight, 3) special contact lenses that are worn overnight that gently reshape the cornea such as the Paragon CRT lens, and 4) low dose topical atropine eyedrop treatment. These are the workhorses of myopia management.
However, to borrow a phrase from recent popular culture, we can "flatten the curve" of myopia progression so that today's children are less likely to become tomorrow's victims of retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic macular degeneration! These eye problems are more likely to present themselves after 40 years of age - but the seeds of these problems go back to their elementary school days in many cases. We can alter the course of history for the kids for when they become adults - but they will have their hands tied when they are faced with these problems as older adults because at that point it's "water over the dam".
On a practical level, myopia management is the doctor prescribing, and the patient USING the prescribed modality to decrease the progression (not completely stop the progression) of myopia that would occur to the child if left to conventional means of correction (regular eyeglasses or regular contact lenses).
The main means of intervention in myopia management are 1) bifocal eyeglasses (there are specifics about this that will be the topic of a later post), 2) special contact lenses that cause peripheral myopic defocus such as the Cooper MiSight, 3) special contact lenses that are worn overnight that gently reshape the cornea such as the Paragon CRT lens, and 4) low dose topical atropine eyedrop treatment. These are the workhorses of myopia management.
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