MYOPIA Management – What Is The Big Deal?

Myopia Management: Does It Really Matter?

As myopia control gains coverage in national
media, some eye care practitioners find
themselves asking the question: ‘Why should
I care?’. After all, what is the big deal if
someone ends up -6.00 instead of -3.00?
They are still myopic, right? They will still
need glasses or contacts to see and function.

Let’s examine a few points that may
underscore why myopia management
matters.

Why We Care

• Preventative Care Is King: You expect
  your health care providers to have your
  best interests at heart. Let’s look at the
  example of cardiology. You would
  expect your cardiologist to counsel you
  to take action to reduce the risk of a
  cardiovascular event, right? Lose weight,
  exercise, eat a healthy diet, etc. (In fact, I
  would fire my cardiologist if he was
  content to let me be overweight and live
  on a diet of donuts!) As your eye care
  provider, we are constantly trying to
  prevent adverse ocular events.
• Early Onset Cataracts: Studies indicate
  a higher percentage of cataract
  formation in nearsighted individuals. In
  addition, nearsighted eyes tend to
  develop cataracts at a younger age.
• Glaucoma: The risk of developing
  glaucoma is 14 times greater in a -6.00
  eye compared to an eye that is not
  nearsighted. Stabilize that patient at
  -3.00 and their risk is only 4 times
  greater.
• Retinal Detachment: Risk of retinal
  detachment in a myopic eye climbs from
  3 times to 22 times as you move from
  -3.00 to -6.00!
• Myopic Retinal Degeneration: As the
  eye grows from -3.00 to -6.00 the risk of
  retinal degeneration jumps from 2 times
  to a staggering 41 times!

It’s Our Job To Care

At Gretna Vision Source, we are our patients
biggest advocates. We love improving
quality of vision and reducing the risk of
future complications.