Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, occurs when an individual has trouble seeing clearly from a distance. The condition often begins around age 6 and affects 30% of children by adolescence. But the numbers are changing, and researchers attribute rising rates of childhood myopia to young children spending more time engaging in close-distance activities at the cost of time spent outside.
“We're seeing kids at much younger ages with myopia,” Lakeline Vision Source optometrist Dr. Kim Slaughter said.
She’s spent her entire 21-year career with Lakeline Vision Source and has a special interest in anything that helps to slow down the progression of nearsightedness. Her team works to detect cases early, often by looking at the prescriptions of older relatives.
Not only can early interventions prevent the need for higher prescriptions as patients age, they also reduce patients’ lifetime risk for several serious eye conditions and diseases.
“We want to prevent the things that we know people who are more nearsighted are at risk for, like glaucoma, retinal detachments and cataracts,” Dr. Slaughter said.
Myopia management
Through the Lakeline Vision Source Myopia Management for Children program, Dr. Slaughter and her teammates care for patients as young as 3 by tailoring treatment options to each unique case. Although toddlers aren’t likely to receive care beyond monitoring and routine exams, children showing clear signs of nearsightedness by kindergarten receive swift treatment.
According to Lakeline Vision Source data, its patent-pending Treehouse Vision System® treatment plan shows a 78% decrease in childrens’ myopia progression relative to the myopia progression of peers who forgo treatment.
“Knowing that [kids] may not end up as nearsighted as their parents are, it's very rewarding,” Dr. Slaughter said.
Myopia management treatments include overnight contact lenses, also known as Ortho-K lenses, that help restore patients’ vision while they sleep. During the day, those patients are able to see without vision correction and have more freedom to play sports, do other activities and enjoy a higher quality of life.
“I believe in what we're doing there, and it’s fun. We have fun,” Dr. Slaughter said.
To make the experience more enjoyable for younger children, Lakeline Vision Source strives to create an engaging and cheerful environment complete with fish tanks, a turtle and a treehouse-themed exam room.
“Our treehouse room, where we do our myopia consultations, is really cool,” Dr. Slaughter said.
It’s a spacious room big enough to accommodate parents and siblings, allowing entire families to meet with one of three dedicated myopia counselors for a free consultation.
More about the provider
Lakeline Vision Source offers eye exams and emergency eye treatments for children and adults of all ages. Its eye care specialties include:
- Dry eye management
- Myopia management
- Scleral contact lenses
- Corneal refractive therapy
- A deaf and hard of hearing vision clinic
- Treatments for neurovisual medicine and binocular vision dysfunction
In addition, the Lakeline Vision Source team stays up-to-date on the latest research and technologies by attending conferences on myopia management and other vision care topics.
Dr. Slaughter is especially excited about corrective glasses lenses that correct vision while simultaneously slowing the progression of myopia that are in the process of securing FDA approval for use in the U.S.
“They're called peripheral defocused glasses,” Dr. Slaughter said. “They're approved in other countries, like Canada and parts of Asia.”
The glasses are just one exciting example of how emerging myopia interventions are protecting childrens’ vision and keeping their eyes healthy. Dr. Slaughter works alongside Dr. Laurie Sorrenson, Lakeline Vision Source Administrator for Austin and the surrounding area, who not only serves as PAC Chair for the Texas Optometric Association, she also teaches 4th year practice management at the University of Houston College of Optometry, acts as the Director of Practice Management for Vision Source International and holds other pivotal roles in the community.
The team loves what they do and welcomes the community to discover first-hand how Lakeline Vision Source goes above and beyond for its patients. To learn more about the myopia management program and schedule an appointment, visit the Lakeline Vision Source website or call 512-918-3937.
The above story was produced by Community Impact's Multi Platform Journalist Team with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
