WA Eye Care
Myopia series / 03 of 06

Treatments, part 1: drops and light

Low-dose atropine, red light and time outdoors.

  1. 01Myopia control: slowing how fast the eye grows
  2. 02Why does the eye keep growing?
  3. 03Treatments, part 1: drops and light
  4. 04Treatments, part 2: lenses
  5. 05Myopia control, the Perth way
  6. 06How do we know it’s working?

Six proven ways to slow myopia

Part 03 · 01

Low-dose atropine

Nightly eye drops.

Ortho-K

Overnight lenses.

Myopia control glasses

Special spectacle lenses.

Soft myopia control lenses

Daily contact lenses.

Red light therapy

Short daily sessions.

Time outdoors

Best for prevention.

The right choice depends on your child’s eyes, age, lifestyle and personality.

Low-dose atropine eye drops

Part 03 · 02
Atropine may block muscarinic receptors, release nitric oxide and increase choroid blood flow and thickness.
Fig 3.2Proposed pathways
  1. 01

    One drop at bedtime

    A very diluted form of a long-used eye medicine.

  2. 02

    Works on the back of the eye

    Boosts choroid blood flow and thickness, not by relaxing focus.

  3. 03

    Exact pathway still being studied

    Several chemical routes likely work together.

Atropine: getting the dose right

Part 03 · 03

Higher doses work better

In the large LAMP study, 0.05% slowed eye growth most; 0.01% had a weak effect on eye length.

But side effects rise too

Light sensitivity and slight near blur, especially in bright sun and lighter-coloured eyes.

Stop gradually

Stopping suddenly can cause a rebound. We taper when your child is older and stable.

Red light therapy

Part 03 · 04
Red light is absorbed by mitochondria, releasing nitric oxide and dilating choroid vessels.
Fig 3.4Red light and the choroid
  1. 01

    About 3 minutes, twice a day

    Looking into a low-level red light device at home.

  2. 02

    Boosts blood flow to the choroid

    Thickening can be seen within an hour.

  3. 03

    Promising, with safety questions

    Device power, a reported retinal injury, and rebound after stopping.

Time outdoors: the best prevention

Part 03 · 05
Bright light, violet light and red light each act on the choroid through different pathways.
Fig 3.5Three lights, one target
  1. 01

    Bright daylight

    Many times brighter than indoors; triggers retinal dopamine.

  2. 02

    Violet light

    Thickens the choroid; window glass blocks it.

  3. 03

    Looking far away

    Less near-work blur and a smaller pupil.

~2 h

Outside each day. Most powerful for stopping myopia from starting.Daily target

Three lights, one target: the choroid

Part 03 · 06

Bright light → dopamine

Outdoor brightness triggers the retina’s natural ‘stop growing’ messenger.

Violet light → OPN5

A special light sensor in the eye that helps thicken the choroid.

Red light → nitric oxide

Energises cells and widens choroid blood vessels.

Different routes, same destination: a thicker, better-supplied choroid.

In summary

Part 03
  1. 01Low-dose atropine works on the back of the eye; dose matters.
  2. 02Red light boosts choroid blood flow but needs careful safety checks.
  3. 03Two hours outdoors a day is the best prevention.
← Part 02Why it growsPart 04 →Lenses
Myopia / Mt Hawthorn

Book a myopia assessment.

Child getting more short-sighted each year? We measure eye length to see how fast their eyes are growing.

Book

General information only, not personal advice. Every child is different. Treatment is decided after a full eye examination.

WA Eye Care · Room 3, 103 Scarborough Beach Road, Mt Hawthorn WA 601608 6288 4218 · info@waeyecare.com.au