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Atropine Therapy for Myopia Management

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is one of the most common eye conditions affecting millions of people around the world. Most patients with this condition wear eyeglasses or contacts to correct their vision, but there is a relatively new option known as atropine therapy that has been shown to help patients with myopia.

If you have myopia and are looking for a better way to manage it, contact Richmond Hill Optometric Clinic Myopia Management Center for a consultation. Let us help you experience clearer, sharper vision and a better quality of life.

What Is Myopia?

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Myopia is a refractive error, a condition in which the eyes are unable to focus clearly on images or objects. This happens due to a misshapen cornea, which leads light to focus on the retina incorrectly.

This results in blurry vision when looking at something at a distance, such as street signs, people walking down a street, or a TV or movie screen. However, images that are closer to the person can be seen more clearly. People with myopia can experience eye strain, eye fatigue, or headaches. This is because of the natural inclination to squint or strain the eyes in an effort to see images in the distance clearly.

Nearly 1 in 10 American children (9.2%) between the ages of 5 and 17 have myopia. This is especially challenging during the school-age years, since the ability to read, write, see the board, do homework, and participate in extracurricular activities all become important parts of a child’s routine.

What Is Atropine Therapy?

Atropine drops are medicated prescription eye drops containing an antimuscarinic agent, which widens (dilates) the pupil, relaxing the eye muscles. In low doses, it has been shown to slow down the development of myopia.

How Does Atropine Therapy Work?

Atropine drops are administered in the eye in the conjunctival sac. This is the area behind the lower eyelid that allows for movement of the eyeball and eyelids. Atropine drops dilate the pupil, which temporarily stops the eye from focusing and allows this function to relax.

Typically, atropine drops involve just one drop in each eye, but exact instructions for your specific case will be given by Dr. Radhika Chawla and the helpful staff at Richmond Hill Optometric Clinic Myopia Management Center.

Atropine therapy may be performed daily either by itself or together with ortho-k or multifocal contact lenses. Contact lenses cannot be worn while the drops are applied. Doctors advise to wait at least 15 minutes before putting contacts back in the eyes.

Atropine Therapy For Children

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Studies have shown that atropine therapy can significantly reduce myopia progression in children. A 2006 study found that 400 children aged 6–12 who received atropine experienced significantly less myopia progression. A second study in 2012 with lower doses of atropine showed similar results. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 90% of children who have atropine therapy show signs of reduced myopia progression.

According to Dr. Radhika Chawla, young children should be administered atropine drops before going to sleep. This increases the likelihood of effective results as the child is more relaxed in sleep. Many parents find that an easy solution is to make it a part of their children’s nightly bedtime rituals.

Does Atropine Therapy Hurt?

Atropine therapy is a painless process, as it simply involves administering medicated eye drops to the patient. As the drops are administered to the eyes, try to avoid excessive blinking so that they are absorbed properly for the most effective results.

How Quickly Will I Notice Results?

Atropine therapy can take up to 6 months to show a significant impact. Doctors usually recommend checkups twice a year to ensure that the patient is experiencing no adverse side effects and that atropine therapy is effectively slowing down myopia development.

Does Atropine Therapy Cure Myopia?

Atropine therapy is shown to slow down and control the progression of myopia, but it is not a cure, nor does it reverse the condition. The goal of atropine therapy is to stop the condition from worsening and prevent it from causing other, more serious eye diseases.

It’s important to note that should you stop atropine therapy, your case of myopia may resume progressing as before treatment.

How You Can Help Achieve Successful Atropine Therapy Results

If you or a loved one has myopia and receives atropine therapy, there are some things you can do to help achieve the best results possible.

Keep wearing glasses or contacts

Patients usually need to keep wearing glasses even with a low-dosage treatment of atropine drops. The level of their myopia typically does not progress further as much as it can without atropine therapy.

Spend more time outdoors

Research shows that a healthy amount of Vitamin D from natural sunlight has positive health benefits. It’s believed that UV rays, in limited amounts, may be able to alter the shape of the cornea.

Side Effects of Atropine Therapy

Most patients who receive atropine therapy experience little to no side effects. Some patients may feel a light stinging sensation, blurriness, or sensitivity to light, but these symptoms disappear quickly. Approximately 1% of patients have reported itchy eyes or experiencing some redness around the eye area.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Radhika Chawla and to find out if atropine therapy is right for you, contact our office today. Our experienced staff at Richmond Hill Optometric Clinic Myopia Management Center will consider your total health needs, ensuring that you get the right treatment for effective management of your nearsightedness.