Special contacts help slow the progression of near-sightedness

The instance of myopia, or near-sightedness, has increased in the United States by 66 per cent over the past 45 years. Now, optometrist are using a special contact to help slow the progression of near-sightedness.

The condition can worsen quickly, resulting in thick glasses and high prescriptions, especially in children.

Olivia Blair has been one of optometrist Dr. Toby Mandelman's patients since she was a young girl.

“I was seven when I got my contacts and I had never had glasses before that,” says Blair.

The contacts she's referring to are corneal refractive therapy, or CRT lenses.

“The lenses are a form of a rigid contact lens and the patients put these lenses in their eyes before they go to bed at night,” says Mandelman.

While the wearer is sleeping, the lens gently reshapes the eye, flattening it slightly.

“So the cornea has memory and it will hold that shape so that all during your waking hours, you're able to see without wearing contact lenses or glasses,” says Mandelman.

“They're really great because I just wear them overnight and I don't have to worry about anything during the day. So I never have to wear glasses or contacts and I can kind of do whatever I want during the day,” says Blair.

Now 16, Blair's myopia has barely progressed since she started wearing the lenses.

Dr. Mandelman says the condition typically worsens quickly in near-sighted children.

“It's very likely their prescription will continue to increase year after year, after year until eventually they are wearing very thick glasses and very high prescriptions and this lens has the ability to delay or retard or even halt the progression of near sightedness,” says Mandelman.

Slowing the progression of near sightedness can also help prevent some of the diseases of the eye that can be caused by the condition.

“When the eye elongates it thins out the tissue at the back of the eye and it could rip or tear more easily,” says Mandelman. “You're much more likely to get glaucoma. There's even evidence that macular degeneration and cataracts are more common.”

Dr. Mandelman says younger CRT lens users usually stop wearing them by the time they reach university age and their eyes have stopped growing.

For Blair, that day is coming soon, but for now she's content to continue wearing them.

“My mom has horrible vision and I was headed down that path and by now I would probably be almost blind basically, I wouldn't be able to see much at all and instead I just have a little bit of near-sightedness,” says Blair.

Dr. Mandelman says it takes a few weeks for the eye to hold the shape. For the first few days, she says you may only get a few hours before your eye eventually regresses back.