If your child's glasses prescription seems to get stronger every year, you are not imagining it — and you are not alone. Myopia in Americans aged 12–54 rose from 25.0% to 41.6% between the early 1970s and the early 2000s, and the average age of onset is falling. That matters for more than stronger glasses: high myopia raises the risk of retinal detachment, myopic degeneration, glaucoma, and other serious conditions later in life.
Myopia control is about slowing that progression while your child's eyes are still growing. At Alta Eye Care, the two options parents ask about most are Ortho-K and atropine eye drops. Both are offered here, along with MiSight soft contact lenses and Stellest lenses — and the right choice depends on your child's exam measurements, not on a one-size-fits-all rule.
What is Ortho-K?
Ortho-K (orthokeratology) uses specially fitted contact lenses, worn overnight, to gently reshape the cornea so vision is clear during the day — and research shows it can also slow myopia progression in children. It is one of the most effective options we offer, along with atropine eye drops.
Ortho-K tends to suit children who are comfortable with contact lens wear and care, and families who like the idea of clear daytime vision without glasses or daytime lenses. The fitting itself is precise: it starts with measurements of eye axial length and corneal curvature, and those measurements are tracked over time to see how the plan is working.
What is atropine treatment for myopia?
Atropine is a medication eye drop prescribed as part of a myopia control plan. Along with Ortho-K, it is currently one of the most effective ways to slow myopia progression in children.
Atropine tends to suit children who are not ready for contact lenses, or whose eyes or routine make drops the simpler fit. As with Ortho-K, the choice is made from the exam measurements — there is no single best option for every child.
How do you choose between them?
That is what the consultation is for. A myopia control consultation starts with a comprehensive eye exam, plus precise measurements of axial length and corneal curvature, and ends with a management plan built from those results — and a straight answer about whether treatment is likely to help your child.
A few things parents can do right now, whatever option is chosen: children who spend at least two hours outdoors a day do not progress as quickly, and less screen time and less eye strain help too. Annual eye exams starting at age five are how myopia gets caught early, when control has the most to offer.
Warning signs to watch for
A school screening that flags nearsightedness, or a prescription that gets stronger every year, are the two signs parents mention most. If either sounds familiar, a myopia control consultation is the place to get a straight answer — what the exam shows, what the options are, and what to expect next.
To book a myopia control consultation, call Alta Eye Care at (408) 502-6188. The practice is at 3239 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95117.