Spectacles

Prescribing for the Progressing Myope with Astigmatism

Whilst each individual child has their own circumstances and situation to consider when prescribing myopia control, children with astigmatism present a unique set of challenges when selecting the best option for not only slowing down the progression of their axial growth, but also providing them with good vision. Simply ignoring the astigmatism when selecting a prescribing choice runs the risk …

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Latest Research: IMC2019, Part 1 – Accommodating for Myopia Accomplishments

I’m delighted to bring you some of the many highlights from the biannual International Myopia Conference! In its 17th iteration, it was held from September 12-15 in Tokyo, Japan. Over this four-part news update, I’ll summarise some of the more clinically-focused updates in what is traditionally a heavily research orientated conference. The International Myopia Institute Update There was a special …

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Spectacle lenses for myopia control – Part 2

Back up corrections, clinical considerations and new designs There’s a little more to think about in the important role spectacle lenses play in myopia management. Even if we prescribe contact lenses, our young myopes are most likely to need a back up spectacle lens option. Children prescribed atropine will need the best spectacle lens prescribed for them to minimise the …

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Spectacle lenses for myopia control – Part 1

Progressives, bifocals, binocular vision and more Are progressive addition lenses and bifocals created equal for myopia control? When do they work and when do spectacles have minimal efficacy? How should we pick which lens type to prescribe, and what’s on the horizon for our non-contact lens wearing young myopes? We know that single vision spectacle lenses provide no useful efficacy …

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The esophoric myope and contact lenses

When it comes to contact lens corrections for young myopes, the impact of orthokeratology (OK) and multifocal soft contact lenses (MFSCL) on binocular vision is pertinent to visual comfort and understanding mechanisms of myopia progression and control. Oliver’s story Oliver, age 10, was referred with a history of fast, recent myopia progression. His mother was R&L -7.00 and he was …

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Specs to contacts – what happens to BV?

Changing a myope from spectacle to contact lens wear can alter their binocular vision (BV) function. The myope reading through their spectacles experiences base-in prism at near, as demonstrated in the image above, which moves the image further away and decreases vergence demand. Looking away from the optical centre of the lens (while keeping the vertex distance constant) also reduces …

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Eight Myopia Mysteries (plus eight more!)

This open-access continuing education article I authored was published in Australian professional journal Mivision in December 2018. It describes that while there’s a lot we know about myopia control – the imperative to reduce lifelong risk of vision impairment; that numerous options are available; and that the sooner we start the better – it is imperative for the clinician to …

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Progressive vs bifocal spectacles – which is best?

Podcast summary: Are progressive addition lenses and bifocals created equal for myopia control? How should we pick which lens type to prescribe, and what’s on the horizon for our non-contact lens wearing young myopes? Progressive addition lens (PAL) studies for myopia control show negligible results when single adds are applied to all children, however when applied to children with esophoria …

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Latest research: International Myopia Conference 2017, Part 1

The sixteenth, biennial International Myopia Conference (IMC) brought together over 350 myopia researchers from more than a dozen countries to drizzly, chilly Birmingham in September 2017, where the latest research was presented in 45 lectures and more than 150 scientific posters over four days. The session topics covered prevalence, progression and risk factors of myopia, mechanisms such as light exposure …

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