About
Myopia or short-sightedness is the difficulty in seeing objects far away. This difficulty is because the light is not correctly focusing on the retina. It is a common eye condition and can progress as the child grows.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for myopia, however Glasses or contact lenses are prescribed to aid your child’s vision and allow them to see clearly.
There is growing evidence in the medical literature to suggest that Atropine 0.01% eye drops can reduce the rate of myopia progression in children.
Atropine 0.01% treatment
Atropine 1% is currently used as a diagnostic eye drop in some clinics to dilate the pupils and relax the focusing components of the eye to aid examination. For Myopia management a much lower concentration of Atropine (0.01%) is used which is 100 times weaker than the dose currently used in clinic.
The exact mechanism of how Atropine 0.01% works on slowing myopia progression is unknown. Many studies from different countries around the world such as the united States, India, Singapore and Australia have shown high success rates in slowing myopia progression
Are there any side effects of Atropine 0.01%?
Side effects are much less that the drops used in clinic and may include:
- Slight irritation upon instillation
- Mild light sensitivity
- Dilated pupils
Important points
- This is not a cure for myopia, but the aim of this management option is to slow the rate of progression.
- Glasses must always be worn to improve vision
- There is no guarantee this treatment will definitely reduce the progression of myopia
- Atropine 0.01% eye drops must be administered every night, missing doses may affect the efficacy of the treatment
Who to contact for any queries?
Please send any enquiry to [email protected]
