VILLAGE EYES
OPTOMETRY
01 · Understanding myopia
Myopia is about more than needing stronger glasses.
Myopia, or nearsightedness, often develops when a child’s eye grows too long from front to back. That extra axial length causes light to focus in front of the retina, making distant objects look blurry.
Glasses and standard contact lenses make vision clear, but they do not necessarily slow the eye’s continued growth. Myopia management adds a second goal: reducing the rate of progression during the years when a child’s eyes are changing.
Review current and prior prescriptions
Evaluate eye health and corneal shape
Consider age, family history and lifestyle
Create a plan for treatment and follow-up
02 · Myopia-control options
More than one way to slow the change.
01
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)
Custom gas permeable lenses are worn while sleeping to temporarily reshape the front surface of the eye. For selected children, Ortho-K can correct daytime vision while also helping slow myopia progression. Careful fitting, hygiene and regular follow-up are essential.
Overnight lenses · Daytime freedom
02
Low-dose atropine
Low-concentration atropine eye drops may be prescribed to help slow myopia progression. The concentration and schedule are individualized, and your doctor will discuss possible effects such as light sensitivity, near blur or temporary stinging.
Prescription drops · Nightly routine
03
Multifocal contact lenses
Specially designed soft contact lenses correct distance vision while creating an optical treatment pattern intended to slow progression. Candidacy depends on age, prescription, eye health, maturity and the ability to handle lenses safely.
Daytime wear · Treatment optics
04
Selected spectacle options
In some cases, bifocal, multifocal or myopia-control spectacle lens designs may be considered. Glasses may also serve as a primary approach, a companion to another treatment or an important backup for contact-lens wearers.
Glasses · Individualized design
No myopia-control treatment stops progression in every child. Recommendations and expected benefits depend on examination findings, treatment adherence and individual response. Contact lenses and prescription medications also have risks and require ongoing professional care.
03 · A plan built around the child
The best treatment is one your child can use safely and consistently.
Clinical evidence matters, but so do comfort, motivation, family routines and the practical realities of school, sports and daily life.
01
Age and rate of change
Earlier onset and faster prescription changes can influence how proactively a doctor recommends treatment and follow-up.
02
Prescription and eye shape
Refraction, astigmatism, corneal shape and eye health help determine which lens or medication options are reasonable.
03
Family history
A child with one or two nearsighted parents may have a greater likelihood of developing or progressing in myopia.
04
Lifestyle and readiness
School demands, sports, outdoor time, near-work habits and comfort with lenses or drops all matter in choosing a sustainable plan.
04 · Myopia doctors in Los Angeles
Clinical guidance for growing eyes.
Dr. Bahareh Golbahar, Dr. Annie Hu-Duval and Dr. Lorin Vogel help families understand the choices, responsibilities and follow-up involved in childhood myopia care.
01
Bahareh Golbahar, OD
Dr. Golbahar has a special interest in childhood myopia management, including soft multifocal contact lenses for myopia control and medication-based treatment with prescription eye drops when appropriate. She combines careful eye-health evaluation with practical guidance for families, monitoring changes in vision and adjusting treatment as children grow.
Soft multifocal lenses · Medication-based myopia care
02
Annie Hu-Duval, OD
Dr. Hu-Duval provides comprehensive myopia management using orthokeratology, soft multifocal contact lenses and medication-based therapy. She helps families choose an approach suited to their child’s prescription, eye health and daily routine, with ongoing monitoring as vision develops. She completed a postgraduate fellowship at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute with an emphasis on contact lenses and joined Village Eyes Optometry in 2004.
Orthokeratology · Soft multifocal lenses · Medical therapy
03
Lorin Vogel, OD
Dr. Vogel focuses on lens-based myopia management, primarily using orthokeratology and soft multifocal contact lenses. He tailors recommendations to each child’s prescription, corneal shape, eye health and daily activities, with careful fitting and regular follow-up to monitor vision and progression.
Orthokeratology · Soft multifocal contact lenses
05 · What to expect
A long-term plan, not a one-time prescription.
Myopia management works best as an ongoing partnership. We explain what to watch for, when to return and why a change in the plan may be appropriate.
01
Understand the pattern
We review prescription history, family history, visual habits, eye health and prior treatments to understand how the myopia is changing.
02
Choose a realistic plan
Your doctor explains suitable options, expected benefits, responsibilities, limitations and costs so the plan fits both the eyes and the family.
03
Monitor and adapt
Regular visits assess vision, eye health, treatment use and progression. The plan can be refined as the child grows and the findings change.
06 · Myopia management questions
What parents often ask.
These answers are general education. Your child’s examination determines which options are medically appropriate.
What is myopia management?
Myopia management uses evidence-based lenses, prescription drops or selected spectacle designs to try to slow the progression of childhood nearsightedness. It is different from simply updating glasses because the goal is to influence how quickly myopia changes over time.
Why does axial length matter?
In most childhood myopia, the eye grows too long from front to back. Light then focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it. Greater axial elongation is associated with stronger myopia and a higher lifetime risk of certain eye diseases, which is why slowing progression can be worthwhile.
Can myopia be cured or reversed?
Current myopia-management treatments do not permanently shorten the eye or cure myopia. Their purpose is to slow progression while providing clear vision. Ortho-K temporarily changes corneal shape, so its daytime vision effect depends on continued wear.
When should a child be evaluated?
An evaluation is reasonable when a child becomes nearsighted, has repeated prescription increases or has risk factors such as early onset or nearsighted parents. Starting age is not the only consideration; eye health, maturity, prescription and rate of change all matter.
Which option works best?
There is no single best treatment for every child. The choice may involve Ortho-K, low-dose atropine, multifocal contact lenses, selected spectacle designs or a combination. Your doctor will recommend an approach after examining the eyes and discussing the child’s needs and readiness.
Is Ortho-K safe for children?
Ortho-K can be used safely by appropriately selected and supervised children, but overnight contact-lens wear carries a risk of infection. Careful hand washing, lens disinfection, avoiding water exposure, keeping follow-up visits and promptly reporting pain, redness or light sensitivity are important.
Does spending time outdoors help?
Regular outdoor time is associated with a lower chance of developing myopia and is generally encouraged alongside healthy near-work habits. Outdoor time does not replace prescribed treatment once myopia is progressing, but it can be part of a broader plan.
CHILDHOOD MYOPIA CARE · WESTWOOD VILLAGE
See the whole picture before choosing a treatment.
Schedule a myopia consultation at Village Eyes Optometry, steps from UCLA.