Myopia management and me

Then, a couple of months after Amyra received her first pair of spectacles, her parents noticed that she was beginning to struggle to see again.

She would angle her glasses when watching the television instead of looking straight through them. A visit to the optometrist revealed a jump in prescription.

“Every two or three months her prescription was increasing,” her mother Vitika Lahoti shared with OT.

“That got me very worried because I was concerned about glaucoma – and the other eye conditions linked to high myopia in later life,” she said.

Lahoti, whose father is a doctor, had become familiar with the risks associated with myopia through online research.

After searching for a practice that specialised in myopia management, she came across Tompkins, Knight & Son Optometrists – which is close to where she lives in Northampton.

He explained everything to me and to Amyra. I had questions and he answered every single one

After an initial appointment with optometrist Keyur Patel, Amyra started wearing soft contact lenses for myopia control.

Neither Lahoti nor her husband wear contact lenses or spectacles, so they were grateful for the level of training provided by practice staff.

“I can’t teach Amyra anything about lenses but they made her self-sufficient. Keyur was extremely patient. They took their time,” she said.

She also valued how Patel would include Amyra in the conversation when discussing myopia management.

“He explained everything to me and to Amyra. I had questions and he answered every single one of them,” Lahoti shared.

A year after starting myopia management, Lahoti is relieved to see that her daughter’s myopia progression is slowing down.

Amyra is now starting to use ortho-k lenses after her confidence using contact lenses grew.

“It makes a difference in terms of the activities she can do. She is looking forward to starting swimming again – she will be able to swim and see,” Lahoti shared.

“Overall, I am extremely pleased with the whole process,” she added.