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Uncorrected MyopiaIn a nearsighted eye, light comes to a focus in front of the retina, causing blurry distance vision. Also, there is relatively less myopia in the peripheral retina than in the central retina. This shift in the focal point in the peripheral retina — called relative hyperopic defocus — appears to be linked to an increased risk of progressive myopia.

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Traditional Myopia CorrectionTraditional eyeglasses and contact lenses correct myopia at the center of the retina (making distance vision clear), but do not correct the relative hyperopia that exists in the peripheral retina. In fact, they might actually worsen the hyperopic defocus in the peripheral retina, which may increase the risk of myopia progression.

Optimal Myopia Correction?Experimental "dual focus" contact lenses fully correct myopia and have a modified power in the lens periphery. This brings the peripheral focal point of the eye forward, replacing hyperopic defocus with myopic defocus (the focal point is now in front of the peripheral retina, not behind it), which might reduce the risk of increasing myopia. 

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