Defocal Lenses: A Game Changer for Myopia in Children
If you’re a parent of a child with myopia, chances are you’re already concerned about your child’s eyesight worsening over time. The rapid rise of myopia, or nearsightedness, especially in kids, is worrying for many reasons.
Progressive myopia doesn’t just mean stronger glasses each year—it can also bring long-term risks, like retinal detachment, glaucoma and other vision issues. But here’s some good news: defocal lenses are emerging as a powerful option to help manage and even slow the progression of myopia.
So, what are defocal lenses, and how can they benefit your child? Let’s know the details.
1. What Exactly Are Defocal Lenses?
Defocal lenses are specially designed lenses that go beyond standard vision correction. They don’t just help your child see clearly; they are engineered to slow down the worsening of myopia over time.
Curious how they do that? Defocal lenses create a “defocus” effect, which involves controlled peripheral blurring while maintaining sharp central vision. This unique setup sends signals to the eye that reduce its tendency to elongate—a primary cause of myopia progression.
Here’s why that matters: Eye elongation in children often leads to progressively worse myopia. Standard lenses, like those in traditional glasses, only address central vision, leaving the elongation process unchecked. Defocal lenses tackle this issue head-on by influencing eye growth.
2. How Do Defocal Lenses Work? Let’s Look at the Science.
To understand why defocal lenses are effective, it’s important to know a bit about myopic defocus (Check figure below).
With progressive myopia, a child’s eyeball tends to elongate, causing light to focus in front of the retina instead of directly on it. This elongation triggers worsening myopia, leading to stronger prescriptions over time.
Defocal lenses change this dynamic by introducing a subtle peripheral blur around a clear central focal point. Here’s how it works:
The clear central vision in the lens ensures your child can see things sharply right in front of them.
The peripheral blur created by the lens sends signals to the eye, reducing its growth response. Studies have shown that this type of “defocus” effect can discourage the eyeball from elongating, which ultimately helps slow the progression of myopia.
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