Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming more common among children in Canada. As more kids develop myopia at an early age, parents are looking for ways to slow its progression and protect their children’s vision. Standard single-vision glasses help kids see clearly, but they don’t prevent myopia from worsening. That’s why specialized spectacle lenses designed for myopia control have become an essential part of managing the condition in children.
Myopia Control Glasses: What’s Available in Canada?
In Canada, four types of specialized spectacle lenses have been approved by Health Canada for managing myopia in children. These are:
Research has shown that these lenses can slow the progression of myopia by at least half (over 50%), making them a great solution for managing myopia in children.1-4 Unlike regular glasses, which simply correct vision, these lenses correct vision and also actively work to slow down the progression of nearsightedness, ensuring that children’s eyesight does not deteriorate as quickly over time.
How Do These Lenses Work?
Unlike standard glasses, which only correct blurry vision, myopia control lenses are designed to change how light enters the eye. They use advanced optical technology which incorporates the background lens power to correct vision, and then includes extra optical elements (~1mm ‘lenslets’ or even smaller ‘diffusers’) to alter the way that part of the visual image is focused. The extra light signals created by the lenslets or diffusers helps to slow down excessive eye growth and, in turn, slow down myopia progression or worsening. This concept is based on years of research showing that eye growth can be influenced by how images are projected onto the retina, particularly in the peripheral field of vision.
Comparing Different Myopia Control Lenses
Each of the four approved lenses works a little differently, but they all share the same goal: to slow down myopia and protect long-term eye health. Here’s a breakdown of how each one works.
Essilor® Stellest®
The Essilor Stellest lens uses Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (H.A.L.T.) technology to control myopia progression.1
- It features 11 concentric rings of tiny lenslets, each about 1mm in diameter and with each ring having a different power to the ones adjacent
- A 9mm central zone without lenslets ensures sharp distance vision.
- The lenslets all work together to create a separate light signal that slows down eye growth.
Hoya MiYOSMART
The Hoya MiYOSMART lens uses Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) technology to help manage myopia.2
- It has a honeycomb pattern of uniform-power lenslets, each around 1mm in diameter, which are spread across the lens.
- It also has a 9mm central zone without lenslets, for sharp distance vision.
- The defocus effect created by the lenslets signals the eye to slow down growth.
Zeiss MyoCare
The Zeiss MyoCare lens features Cylindrical Annular Refractive Elements (C.A.R.E.) technology to slow myopia progression.4
- It offers two versions: MyoCare for kids under 10 and MyoCare S for those aged 10 and older.
- A central vision zone corrects myopia, while the surrounding treatment zone works to slow its progression, using a different lenslet design to the others.
Zeiss ClearFocus technology improves peripheral optics for clear and consistent vision.
MiSight® Spectacle Lenses
The MiSight Spectacle lens works a little differently from the others by using Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT).3
- Instead of lenslets, this lens uses microscopic diffusers (around 0.1mm diameter) to subtly modify image contrast.
- It has a smaller central zone without diffusers, around 5mm diameter.
- The contrast-based design helps regulate eye growth without impacting visual quality.
What these lenses have in common is that all have spaces between the lenslets or diffusers, where the distance vision power is accessible. This means that children adapt easily and enjoy comfortable vision when viewing anywhere across the lens.
Most of these lenses are also available in robust, impact-resistant materials, designed with durability in mind. This makes them a great option for active children. You can read more about spectacle lenses for myopia management in the article All about eye glasses for myopia control featured on MyKidsVision.org.
Why Myopia Control Glasses Matter
If myopia isn’t managed properly, it tends to get worse in kids every few to several months. This can lead to development of high myopia, and an increased risk of serious eye diseases like retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, and glaucoma which can occur in early or later adulthood. Specialized myopia control glasses offer a way to help slow this progression and protect a child’s vision for the short-term and long-term. Early intervention with myopia control lenses can mean less frequent changes in vision, giving kids more stable vision between their eye exams. In the long-term, a lower resultant prescription or level of myopia significantly reduces the risks associated with high myopia in adulthood, ensuring better overall eye health.5 Read more about myopia control in the article What is myopia control and why it’s important featured on MyKidsVision.org.
How Myopia Control Glasses Compare to Other Treatments
Other myopia control methods, such as orthokeratology (Ortho-K) and soft contact lenses, are also available, which can provide many benefits to kids and teenagers. In selecting the best option for your child, your child’s Optometrist will consider several individualized factors. Specialized spectacle lenses come with several advantages:
- Easy to wear: Glasses are a familiar and hassle-free option for most children.
- Non-invasive: Unlike contact lenses, there’s no need to place anything onto the eye.
- Great for younger children: Spectacle lenses are a great option for kids who aren’t ready for contact lenses yet.
- Less maintenance required: Unlike contact lenses, which need daily replacement or cleaning, spectacle lenses are easier to manage.
You can read more about which myopia control glasses may be most suitable for babies and toddlers, children, teenagers or young adults on MyKidsVision.org.
What can you do today?
With more children developing myopia around the world and in Canada, it’s important to take action early to slow its progression. The good news is that specialized spectacle lenses, including Essilor® Stellest®, Hoya MiYOSMART, Zeiss MyoCare, and MiSight® Spectacle Lenses offer an effective way to manage myopia to give your child more stable vision today, and and reduce the risk of future vision problems across their lifetime.
If your child has been diagnosed with myopia, talk to your Optometrist about myopia management options to find the best solution for their needs and that of your family. Taking steps today can help to ensure better vision, quality-of-life and long-term eye health for your child now and into the future.
References:
- Bao J, Huang Y, Li X, Yang A, Zhou F, Wu J, Wang C, Li Y, Lim EW, Spiegel DP, Drobe B, Chen H. Spectacle Lenses With Aspherical Lenslets for Myopia Control vs Single-Vision Spectacle Lenses: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022 May 1;140(5):472-478.
- Lam CSY, Tang WC, Tse DY, Lee RPK, Chun RKM, Hasegawa K, Qi H, Hatanaka T, To CH. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses slow myopia progression: a 2-year randomised clinical trial. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020;104:363-368.
- Rappon J, Chung C, Young G, Hunt C, Neitz J, Neitz M, Chalberg T. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: 12-month results of a randomised controlled, efficacy and safety study (CYPRESS). Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 Sep 1:bjophthalmol-2021-321005.
- Chen X, Wu M, Yu C, Ohlendorf A, Rifai K, Boeck-Maier C, Wahl S, Yang Y, Zhu Y, Li L, Sankaridurg P. Slowing myopia progression with cylindrical annular refractive elements (CARE) spectacle lenses-Year 1 results from a 2-year prospective, multi-centre trial. Acta Ophthalmol. 2024 Nov 15.
- Bullimore MA, Ritchey ER, Shah S, Leveziel N, Bourne RRA, Flitcroft DI. The Risks and Benefits of Myopia Control. Ophthalmology. 2021 Nov;128(11):1561-1579.
