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Myopia – speak to the #1 Myopia experts in the UK

Central Vision Opticians are proud to be crowned as the UK's Myopia Management Practice of the Year in 2022 at the Optician Awards. We're global experts, pioneers and innovators in the field of myopia management. We have over 7 years of multi-award-winning experience in helping to slow down the deterioration in children's myopia, safely and successfully. 

Speak to the experts for advice on managing your child's myopia 02083431122 or email [email protected]

Want to watch exactly how we will help your child with their short-sightedness/myopia? What is the process and journey for myopia management? Watch the Kadri-Langford family's fascinating journey with us as we helped their children to have clear vision and to protect their eyes for the future. (You can also follow their journey on the myopia focus blog at www.myopiafocus.org - opens in a new window/tab)

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Help your child’s short-sight in just 1 minute a day!!

Myopia (AKA short sight) is on the rise. And it’s worrying. More children are being diagnosed every day. Within the next few years, it is expected that 50% of 18-year-olds in the UK will be myopic. More importantly, we now have the technology to slow the progression before it really starts to impact your child’s life. It only takes 1 minute a day! Check out our amazing results below...

our results 2020 - 68% of children had no change


As multi-award-winning and internationally renowned specialists in children’s vision and learning, we have helped hundreds of kids from all over the world. Our results during the pandemic and the increase in screen time has been phenomenal. Whilst most children who were short sighted had progressed at a faster rate than normal, the children on our programme had hardly any change at all. In fact 68% had NO CHANGE AT ALL. These children have also been able to perform better at school and in activities such as sports, music and dance. We are always looking to use latest techniques, activities and technology to protect children’s eyes and vision. Call us now on 02083431122 to book…

By using myopia control contact lenses (such as MiSight or NaturalVue or Ortho-K) or glasses such as MiyoSmart combined with vision therapy, we have been able to virtually stop the worsening of myopia in some of our patient’s eyes.

Rian has been wearing the [contact] lenses for a year now and one eye has not got any worse whilst the other has progressed by -0.25. We have been really surprised and pleased with the results – HS (Rian’s father)
children using myopia management showed hardly any change

What is Short-Sightedness (myopia)?

Short-sightedness means that the eyes are focused at a close distance (a short focal point). Objects that are far away will be blurred, while objects closer will appear clear. The more short-sighted a person is, the closer the focal point the eyes will be.

This means that the sufferer can’t see far away objects, such as looking at the board at school. It usually starts from the early teens but recently we’re seeing many kids where it has started at a much younger age. Even as young as 5.

Read more here: What is Short-Sightedness (myopia)?

What are the risks of myopia?

High levels of short sight significantly increase the risk of serious eye diseases such as retinal detachment and glaucoma later in life. It also makes extremely difficult for your child to see the board at school without glasses.

Short sight doesn’t just affect a child’s ability to learn at school. It can affect playing sports and other activities. In many cases I’ve seen, it can impact confidence and the ability to interact with others. These children suffer low esteem and, despite the Harry Potter effect, often get teased about wearing glasses.

If you’re short-sighted, then you already understand how the condition gets progressively worse so you need stronger glasses every 6 months. You’re probably aware of struggling to see without your glasses on.

Luckily, we now have a revolutionary and scientifically proven option to help slow down the progression of myopia. In about 41% of cases, there was virtually no change at all!

Myopia Management contact lenses are proven to be effective in kids from the age of 5 in slowing down the progression of myopia.

Why is the approach to Myopia Management at Central Vision Opticians different to other optometrists?

We have invested over £100k in new equipment to help monitor short sightedness and myopia. The biggest risk of myopia is the extended growth of the eyeball, this leads to stronger prescriptions and increased risk of blindness in adults. Complications due to high myopia are already one of the leading causes of blindness. We are excited to announce that we are one of the few practices in the UK that have the technology to accurately measure the length of the eyeball and monitor its growth. This allows us to provide more accurate control and assessment of risk. 

In addition to the optical effect that drives short-sightedness, we have found there is a significant link with difficulties in focusing and binocular vision. As Behavioural Optometrists, we are trained to assess the visual system to a deeper level and providing vision therapy to improve these problems can reduce the change in myopia. Central Vision Opticians are unique in offering a myopia control programme with vision therapy in addition to contact lenses. 

Children can wear contact lenses, even at the age of 5?

Yes! We have several 5-year-olds who are successfully wearing contact lenses and their eyes have virtually stopped getting worse.

You were very supportive, patient and understanding. You explained the process and showed us how to fit lenses in, answered our questions.

But how can they put them on their eyes?

We teach them exactly how to insert and remove the lenses safely.

Bhavin has been amazing and really explained the pros and cons of wearing the lenses. He has also been very patient with Rian especially at the beginning. Although we were a little apprehensive at the beginning we found that young children are very good at handling lenses and age should not be a barrier.

What if they get an infection?

They are single use so every lens they wear is sterile and clean. The risk of an infection is virtually eliminated. We’ve found that children get into good habits of washing their hands and looking after the lenses at a young age which helps when they are older. In fact, the risk of infections is lower than some adults. For reassurance, we offer unlimited emergency appointments if ever there is a problem.

Can they damage my child’s eyes?

We ensure that children learn how to look after their eyes and lenses very carefully before we let you take them away. We also monitor their eyes frequently so we can identify any problems before it can cause damage. We take eye care very seriously. In over 20 years, we have never had a wearer on our regular replacement scheme who has had damage to their eyes from contact lens wear.

What is the proof that these contact lenses work?

These techniques and contact lenses have been development for over 10 years. There have been published studies that have followed children for over 7 years while wearing these lenses. The children responded very well to lenses. About 40% of the kids had no increase in short-sightedness. The other 60% showed a change of just -0.75DS over 3 years. Just to put it into context, children who wear glasses would have an average change of over -1.50DS. That’s nearly twice as much difference.

How are these lenses different to normal contact lenses?

Research has found that there is an area of blurry vision in the periphery of our vision that drives extra growth in the eyeball. This leads to the progression of myopia. When you are short-sighted, this area of vision is one of the factors responsible for the changes. It doesn’t matter if you wear your glasses or not, the vision can still get worse. These lenses change in the vision in the periphery while still keeping the central vision clear. This suppresses the additional lengthening of the eyeball thus reducing the rate of change.

Can the short-sightedness be reversed?

Not yet, although we have had a couple of cases where a child needs a prescription that is slightly less strong. The prescription will increase but at a significantly slower rate.

What about lenses that you sleep in overnight (Ortho-K) to prevent myopia?

These lenses are also an effective way to slow the progression of myopia. There can be some limitations for higher power ranges but most children can manage very well with this method. For some sports, such as swimming, Orthokeratology  (Orthok) can be preferable. 

Aren’t contact lenses uncomfortable?

Not at all! They are extremely comfortable once they have been applied to the eyes. We offer a free comfort trial so your child can feel how comfortable lenses are before we conduct the consultation.

How do I know if my child will be able to wear lenses?

This is easy. We offer a comfort trial when your child has a sight test with us. This means we’ll apply the lens to their eyes and see how they find them. At this point, 93% of kids are keen to proceed with the lenses. As long your child is comfortable, we perform an assessment and consultation to ensure the fitting is good and the teach them how to handle the lenses. This includes looking after them and applying and removing the lens. As part of the consultation, we give you a week’s supply of the lenses to use at home and school. We perform final checks at the end of the trial to make sure your child is 100% happy and that the lenses are safe for your child to wear. The lenses are received every 3 months and paid by a monthly subscription. This includes any check-ups and further appointments necessary, so you can have peace of mind.

If my child cannot wear contact lenses, can glasses slow down the change related to myopia?

Regular glasses or spectacles will not slow down the rate of change, however, we are one of the first practices in the UK to be accredited to dispense MiyoSmart spectacle lenses. These lenses have been scientifically proven to slow down the rate of progression of myopia to the same level as contact lenses. The children who have been wearing the lenses have adapted easily, can see clearly whilst also protecting their eyes.

When can they stop wearing these lenses?

Short-sightedness can be a risk until the late teens so wearing the lenses until the age of 18 is important. However, if your child goes on to university and decides to chose a subject that requires lots of reading, there is evidence to suggest that the short-sightedness could progress during this time so its worth continuing the treatment during university. Most people prefer to wear contact lenses after this age because the vision is clearer and can be more comfortable than glasses.

How long do they have to wear the lenses each day?

The myopia control works best when a child wears lenses at least 10 hours a day, they can wear them longer. The lenses need to be worn at least 6 days a week for maximum myopia control.

We are very happy with Central Vision, it is a friendly and family-oriented optician. That’s exactly what we were looking for. I’ve been telling other parents about contact lenses and passing all the information you have given us.

What is the cost of protecting my child’s sight and vision?

Myopia control lenses are cheaper than the alternative of not stopping the rate of change. Myopia puts a significant risk to our eyes and sight. The emotional impact of wearing spectacles can affect many children. The ability to participate freely in sports and activities cannot be underestimated.

The costs:

  • Assessment and Fitting £400 for Orthok, £300 for Soft Contact Lens fitting, £100 for Spectacle Lenses
  • Visual Skills Assessment – £200 included
  • Teaching Insertion and Removal – £80 included
  • Assessment of Fit – £60 included
  • 1 Week Trial of Contact Lenses – £60 included
  • Myopia Risk Assessment – £80 included
  • On going Myopia Management programme and aftercare – £60 per month (includes as many contact lenses as you need) (Out of range powers may cost a little more)
  • Regular Monitoring of Myopia Progression – £120 per appointment included with subscription
  • Emergency Appointments – £120 included with subscription
  • Increased Cost of Glasses for People Who are Very Short Sighted – over £100 per pair
  • Increased Confidence When Wearing Contact Lenses – Priceless
  • Improved Performance at School – Priceless
  • Improved Performance When Playing Sports – Priceless
  • Healthier Eyes and Lower Risk of Blindness – Priceless
We would highly recommend the lenses to other parents with children in the same situation.

Call us now on 02083431122 Or
Email: [email protected]
to book your appointment

The Facts

Reduced myopia progression

Myopia control contact lenses help to slow down the rate of change. 40% of kids only showed an increase of just -0.25DS after 3 years

Protection of the eyes

Myopia increases the risk of several diseases of the eyes including glaucoma and retinal detachment. By controlling myopia, this risk will be reduced.

Easy and safe to use

These contact lenses are easy to use. Our regular and expert monitoring means that we can reduce the risk of complications.

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