Myopia Control for Children in BenidormWe slow down myopia to protect their future eye health
Book a Myopia Check-UpMore than Correcting: Slowing the Growth of the Eye
What is myopia control?
Myopia control in children is a set of clinical treatments and optical habits designed to slow down the growth of the eye and stop myopia from increasing.
Traditional glasses correct blurred distance vision but do not stop it from progressing. These treatments aim to keep the eye from growing too long, which is what causes myopia, and so protect the child's future eye health.
Why Is It So Important to Control It Early?
When a child develops myopia at an early age, between 6 and 12, the eye grows too fast along with the rest of the body. Without intervention, it is very likely to end up as high myopia, of more than 6 diopters.
Slowing it down is not just about thinner lenses in their future glasses: it is a key preventive health measure. High myopia over-stretches the inner structures of the eye and multiplies the risk of serious eye diseases in adulthood.
Risks of high myopia in adulthood:
- Retinal detachment.
- Glaucoma (high eye pressure).
- Myopic maculopathy (loss of central vision).
- Early cataracts.
Myopia Control Treatments
At Visionmar Optical Center we offer several treatments and choose the most suitable one for each child.
Peripheral defocus glasses
They correct vision in the center and create controlled defocus at the sides of the retina, which tells the eye to stop growing longer. We work with ZEISS MyoCare, Hoya MiYOSMART and Essilor Stellest 2.0.
Peripheral defocus contact lenses
Soft daytime contact lenses, usually daily disposables, that work on the same optical principle. Ideal for active children or those who play sports.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)
Rigid lenses the child wears only while sleeping: they gently reshape the cornea for a while, so the child sees perfectly all day without glasses or contact lenses while the growth of the eye slows down.
The Role of Daily Habits
Myopia control does not depend on optical technology alone: it also calls for changes in the child's lifestyle, which we usually guide with the 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes of close work, 20 seconds looking into the distance) and a few simple recommendations.
At the slightest suspicion, or if there is myopia in the family, yearly check-ups are vital to assess whether the child is a candidate for one of these treatments.
- 01
More time outdoors
At least 2 hours a day: sunlight triggers the release of dopamine in the retina, which naturally slows the stretching of the eye.
- 02
Less screen time
Limit long sessions on tablets, phones and video games outside school hours.
- 03
The right distance
Books and screens at least 30-40 cm away: the distance from the elbow to the knuckles.
Protect Tomorrow's Vision Today
If your child is short-sighted or there is myopia in the family, book an exam at either of our two centers in Benidorm.