Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a very common condition where children need glasses to see objects at a distance. This refractive error causes light to focus at a point just in front of the retina, making it difficult for the person to see distant objects clearly. Myopia has become increasingly common in children over recent years with intense near work (usually screen time) thought to be a key factor along with reduced time spent outdoors. Childhood myopia tends to get worse over time, resulting in the need for stronger and stronger glasses.
Moderate to high levels of myopia can lead to substantial vision loss due to lengthening of the eye which, in turn, significantly increases the risk of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. By allowing a child’s prescription to change without intervention, we are putting their future vision at risk.
Abbey Eye Care is proud to offer a myopia control clinic; a series of treatments and therapies meant to slow down the progression of myopia and help preserve your child’s future vision.
Drs. Tina and Jeff Goodhew have spoken to their colleagues across North America about their experience with controlling myopia in children. They bring their expertise to their patients every day.
There are two ways researchers have discovered to slow down myopia progression. One is optically; using contact lenses and or glasses. The second option is pharmaceutical or prescription eye drop therapy.
By changing the focus of light from our periphery (side vision) we can signal to the eye not to grow as quickly all the while still maintaining normal clear straight-ahead vision. It is the eye getting longer that increases myopia.
A hard contact lens is inserted at night time just before bed and removed immediately upon awakening. This gently reshapes the surface of the eye, taking the child’s prescription to zero. This allows the child to go to school without the need for glasses or contact lenses. Ortho-K slows down the rate of myopia progression by about 50-60%. Ortho-K recently received FDA approval for myopia control.
MiSight by CooperVision is a novel soft disposable contact lens worn throughout the day (no overnight wear). This contact lens has a customized optical profile to alter the focus of light coming from our periphery (side vision). It also slows down the rate of myopia progression by about 59%. It received Health Canada approval in November 2017 and FDA approval in April 2020.
Abbey Eye Care is proud to offer MiSight soft contact lenses. These multifocal daily disposable lenses reduce the risk of infection and contamination, particularly for kids, as they don’t need to be disinfected and reused.
Specially designed optical lenses are also available that alter the focus of light from the periphery. New developments in this area now allow for prescription control similar to contact lenses or eye drops which is in the range of 50-60%. Currently our optical lens of choice is the MiyoSmart lens from Hoya.
Atropine has been used in eye care for over 100 years to help eye doctors view inside the eye and treat certain eye conditions. To control myopia, researchers have discovered that atropine can slow down prescription change by about 50%. Drops are taken once per day at night before bed. Often times these drops are used in addition to glasses or contact lenses if more myopia controlling effect is required.
The doctors and staff at Abbey Eye Care are highly trained in the latest research surrounding myopia control. We have also invested heavily in technology to help us determine which options are best for your child and to help us measure the efficacy of their treatment plan. We are one of the only optometry clinics in Ontario to have a Zeiss IOL master; a device that allows us to measure the length of your child’s eye. We also use a corneal topographer to give us detailed information on the curvature of the front surface of the eye. We closely follow your child’s progress at least every 6 months to optimize their treatment program.
A famous quote from Brien Holden, one of the preeminent researchers in myopia control seems to sum up the current thinking in this field. “We don’t know everything about myopia but we know enough that we should be doing something about it”
We look forward to working with you to help control your child’s myopia and help protect the future of their vision. Please call us to learn more.
“Dr. Phyllis and the ladies at the front desk are awesome. They took me on an emergency during rush hour on a Saturday. I have no hesitation recommending them.”
“I was lucky enough to have my first appointment last year with Dr. Tina Goodhew, and was she ever a blessing. I was having troubles with my vision and could not understand why. She took the time to really talk to me, listen and genuinely cared to get to the bottom of it, something I find lack’s with other Doctors. If it wasn’t for Dr Goodhew I would not know about the retinal disease in my eyes I was diagnosed with after her finding what needed to be found and referring me to the proper specialists. Thank you!!! I recently had another appointment and it was again, stellar care! The front desk ladies are always a pleasure as well, always a plus to have great customer service! Thank you Abbey Eye Care!”
“I’ve been a patient at Abbey Eye Care for almost 4 years and the service they provide is exceptional. As a long-time keratoconus sufferer, I have seen numerous optometrists over the years and tried many different lenses in an attempt to improve my vision. Dr. Jeff was the first optometrist to provide me with a truly effective solution. My vision is much better and the comfort level is great. Jeff and the rest of the team at Abbey Eye Care are wonderful – very welcoming, caring and professional. I highly recommend them.”
“Judy and the gang at Abbey Eye Care have been helping my family of four with all our eye care needs for years. All aspects of the experience, from the eye examination, to the selection of eyewear, to delivery, and adjustments are easy and relaxed. I have referred friends and family there and will continue to do so in the future.”
“We found Abbey Eye Care because of EnChroma. The service was excellent. We were able to test my son’s colour deficiency and confirm the glasses work for him. The selection is far better than what can be ordered through the company’s own website. They did their best to be upfront about the cost – much appreciated. It is absolutely worth the drive to Oakville!
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!”
“Drs. Jeff and Tina Goodhew and their team have assisted my family for the last 4 years, most recently within the last month. Each time we have visited their office we have been treated professionally and with personalized attention. My most recent visit was to identify an issue with my prescription that had occurred within the past year. The issue was identified swiftly, a range of options discussed, and a new set of lenses ordered and delivered within 2 weeks. The test of the new lenses in the office suggested confirmation of the diagnosis and recommendation, and once home, I was able to corroborate the benefits of the new lenses immediately.
The correction addressed not just vision concerns, but corresponding neck and backaches due to compensations made because of the changes to my vision. This has been a material improvement to quality of life.
I have no hesitation recommending Abbey Eye Care.”
“My Family and I have been coming to Abbey Eye Care for many years and it has always been a wonderful experience. We have consistently been treated with the utmost care and respect and it’s comforting to know that our eye care is being administered by a really professional team. For example, my son has needed glasses since the age of 10 and experienced a problem wearing them while playing Rep Hockey. The Abbey Eye Team helped him into contact lenses and spent an extraordinary amount of time selected the right contacts, training him in their use and making sure that he was comfortable. Several years later he still receives the same above and beyond care. We have in the past recommended Abbey Eye Care to many of our friends and family and will continue to do so without hesitation. If you really care about your eyes then this is the place!”
“If you want to know what going above and beyond means, then you want Dr. Tina Goodhew as your optometrist!
After spending years being told by other doctors that I couldn’t wear contact lenses, and that they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with my eyesight, Dr. Tina took to the time to work with me on finding out what was going on with my eyes. As it turns out, I have keratoconus, and once diagnosed she worked hard to get me into a study that would allow for me to receive eye surgery to help stall the development of the disease! She supported me every step of the way, and even returned a phone call from me on the Sunday night before my surgery when I was having a mini panic attack. I am so grateful to Dr. Tina for everything she has done to support me in my mission towards better vision. I can’t recommend Abbey Eye Care enough!”
“On advice from a friend, I had my progressive glasses checked by Dr. Jeff Goodhew just to find that the other doctor I had been to before had not even noticed the double vision or “prism” in my eyes. Fortunately, Dr. Jeff did a thorough examination and handed me a prescription which I took to the earlier eye care office and had them replace my glasses. Great experience! Now I can watch TV and work on my computer perfectly and comfortably thanks to the excellent scrutiny of Dr. Jeff! I cannot thank him enough to have brought comfort back to my eyes. I am 67 and a happy patient of Dr. Jeff Goodhew!”
“I’ve seen all the optometrists, and most recently, Dr Adrienne Tong, twice. I found that she took the time to answer all my questions and was very kind and understanding. She was very thorough and looked into specific concerns that I had. I like the glasses I got, and found them to be reasonably priced. Dr Tong suggested a new coating for people who spend a lot of time looking at screens. It’s supposed to reduce strain on your eyes. I work at a screen several hours a day, and it feels like it was worth the very small additional cost. In fact, the morning before I went for the appointment, I was fiddling with my monitor settings because everything seemed “off,” somehow. I don’t know if it’s the coating or the new lenses, but I was quite surprised at the look of things now. I even tried with my old glasses to compare, and there is a significant difference. I do plan to return to Abbey Eye Care when the time comes.”
“My family has been clients of Abbey Eye Care for over 12 years and have always been very happy with the care provided, their accurate and timely diagnosis and the products dispensed to us. All the doctors take great care to really help us as well as explain what the tests results mean in a way that is clear and easy to understand. I had all my follow up from PRK eye surgery (to correct fairly severe nearsightedness) and the care was exceptional. Three members of my family have received glasses and/or contacts here and the staff put lots of time and effort to find the right fit for each of them. Finally, recently I had to have progressive lenses as I need reading glasses and a very small distance prescription. They once again worked tirelessly to get my prescription and vision perfect, even sending the lenses back to the lab. Our care with both the Drs. Goodhew, Dr. Tong, Judy and all the office staff has been wonderful. We feel very lucky to be clients of Abbey Eye Care and absolutely recommend them for outstanding eye and vision care. 5 out of 5 stars”
Find us on the corner of Third Line & Dundas. (Plaza with: Shoppers Drug Mart, Starbucks & Freshco)
There is a large parking lot in front of our office with free parking.
Please note we are closed every Wednesday from 1 PM-2 PM for a team meeting.
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What are Vuity eye drops? Vuity eye drops are the first and only prescription eye drops that improves age-related blurry vision, know as presbyopia. Presbyopia commonly affects most people beginning in the early to mid-forties making it more difficult to read and see things up close. Vuity is approved by the FDA and currently available […]
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Ortho-K lenses or Orthokeratology lenses are specially designed gas permeable lenses designed to gently reshape the cornea. The lenses are worn over night and removed in the morning allowing you to see during the day without glasses or regular contact lenses. They also have the added benefit of slowing down a child’s prescription as they […]
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