Myopia Control at Castle Hill Family Optometrist

We are your local Castle Hill myopia control experts. Myopia or short-sightedness is a pervasive vision issue affecting children and young adults in the modern world. The latest evidence suggests that children become short-sighted through a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Children who spend greater amounts of time indoors, reading on digital devices have an increased risk of myopia.  

Projections from the Brien Holden Vision Institute estimate that nearly 5 billion people—around 50% of the global population will myopic by 2050, with up to 1 billion having high myopia. This trend is largely attributed to environmental and lifestyle factors, including increased near work (such as screen use and education demands) and reduced time spent outdoors.

Over the past 15 years, there have been significant advances in the scientific understanding of myopia and strategies to slow its progression. 

Myopia control refers to the use of specialised optical, contact lens, or pharmaceutical interventions designed to reduce the progression of nearsightedness in children and young adults. By limiting elongation of the eye, these approaches aim to reduce the likelihood of developing high myopia and, consequently, lower the risk of vision-threatening conditions such as macular degeneration and retinal detachment later in life. 

Patients and parents can feel empowered that Myopia can be effectively managed, rather than watching it progress uncontrolled.

Evidence-based myopia management leads to safer, more effective, and more predictable outcomes while helping to protect long-term ocular health.

At Castle Hill Family Optometrist, clinical decisions are guided by the best available scientific research, rather than anecdotal or outdated practices. Interventions such as orthokeratology, defocus spectacles, and low-dose atropine have been rigorously studied and shown to slow myopia progression. 

 Patients and parents can feel confident that recommended treatments are backed by robust data, enabling clearer discussions around benefits, limitations, and expectations.

Our Myopia clinic is led by Dr Timothy Liang. and Dr Baz Ghafourian

 Orthokeratology, also known as Ortho-K, is a non-invasive overnight contact lens technology that is used to correct myopia (short-sightedness) and slow down its progression. These uniquely crafted contact lenses are worn overnight, gently shaping the cornea to ensure clear vision throughout the day without the necessity for glasses or daytime contact lenses (much like invisible braces for your teeth).

At Castle hill family Optometrist, Ortho-K is available for adults and children from the age of 6.

Ortho-K has long been considered the gold standard of myopia control, with the ability to reduce progression by up to 50%-60% compared to regular glasses or contact lenses.

Ultra-low dose Atropine eye drops are a safe  and effective stand-alone or combination therapy for myopia control in Children.

These eye drops work by strengthening the collagen fibers of the eyeball, to prevent it from elongating abnormally, as is the case in progressive myopia.

At Castle Hill Family Optometrist, Atropine eye drops or usually used a part of a combination therapy along with either myopia control glasses or contact lenses.

Please speak to our friendly Optometrists to learn more, as these drops are prescription only.

Essilor Stellest lenses are a tried and tested design of myopia control spectacle lenses, backed by 7 years of clinical data. They are highly efficacious in slowing myopia progression in children by up to 60% and comparable to Orthokeratology.

Essilor Stellest 2.0 lenses are the next-generation solution for myopia management in children. Released in 2026, they build upon the original Stellest lens technology by providing a stronger neuro-optical signal to help control eye growth (H.A.L.T MAX tech).

Clinical studies indicate that Stellest 2.0 lenses are significantly more effective at slowing eye growth than the first generation Stellest lenses.

 The Hoya MiYOSMART spectacle lens is based on revolutionary Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (D.I.M.S.) technology developed in cooperation with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2014.  

MiYOSMART is easy to fit, just like regular single vision lenses. There are no limitations for the frame choice.

 It has been shown to reduce myopia progression by average 60% sustained over 6 years.

The latest clinical evidenc has shown that Essilor Stellest lenses may be slightly more effective at controlling myopia compared to Hoya MiYOSMART lenses in children with larger pupils.

MiSight and Acuvue Abiliti 1 Day contact lenses are new soft lenses which provide increased safety, hygiene and convenience when compared to traditional Ortho-K contact lenses. They are disposable which means no cleaning and a very low risk of infection.

Extensive studies show that over a 3-year period, MiSight lenses reduce myopia progression by average 59% compared to single vision lenses. 

Acuvue Abiliti lenses are newly released and comparable to Might lenses.

Axial lengths refers to the total length of the eyeball from front to back.

Axial length measurement is a crucial parameter in myopia management, as it reflects the distance between the front of the cornea and the retina. 

In myopia, the eye is longer than normal, and measuring axial length helps monitor the progression of myopia and assess the risk of associated complications like myopic degeneration. 

At Castle Hill Family Optometrist, we use the latest Optical Coherence Tomography to measure and monitor axial length in our myopia patients.

 Repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy is a promising, non-invasive treatment for myopia control, particularly in children aged 7–16. 

This technology is not yet widely available in Australia, though we welcome enquiries at this time and you may be placed on a waiting list.