Red light therapy is the best way to treat myopia
Turning point: red light therapy plus defocusing lenses - an absolute game changer in the fight against the myopia pandemic
Ladies and gentlemen, professional colleagues,
The predictions of the World Health Organization are clear: by 2050, nearly half of humanity will be affected by myopia. In May 2026, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Denver ( Colorado Convention Center ), the ophthalmology and optometric community gave a clear direction. Among the many presented solutions, the combination of repetitive low-intensity red light therapy (RLRL) with advanced new generation defocusing glasses was recognized as the method to be followed in cases requiring the highest effectiveness.
Red light therapy is the best way to stop and control myopia
According to the latest guidelines of the International Myopia Institute from 2025 presented at the ARVO 2026 congress, Repeated Low-level Red Light therapy ( RLRL ) was recognized as the most effective monotherapy in the treatment and control of myopia in children, the second most effective were glasses and contact lenses with defocusing optics and orthocorrective lenses. Low doses of atropine have the least effectiveness in controlling myopia.
Why is red light therapy currently the best treatment for myopia?
Traditional atropine monotherapy without the support of defocus glasses or orthocorrective lenses does not sufficiently stop progression in many patients. Even in combination with these glasses or lenses, the effect is clearly weaker than in the case of monotherapy with repetitive low-frequency red light (RLRL). Combining atropine with red light therapy is absolutely prohibited - atropine dilates the pupil, eliminating the eye's natural defense mechanism against excessive exposure to light.
However, the combination of modern defocusing glasses (DIMS TED, HAL structures and similar) with RLRL works in two ways: the glasses provide a continuous peripheral optical signal inhibiting axis elongation, and red light (approx. 650 nm, 3 minutes twice a day) improves blood flow in the blood through photobiomodulation. choroid, eliminates scleral hypoxia and allows shortening of the eyeball. In the research presented at ARVO 2026, the use of DIMS glasses alone resulted in an average of 0,16 mm of elongation per year. After adding RLRL, the axis was shortened by – 0,13 to – 0,21 mm per year – a stronger effect than the sum of both methods used separately.
A similar mechanism is also observed when combining RLRL therapy with orthokeratotic lenses.
Red light therapy is the best treatment for myopia - evidence from a British audit
Dr. Neema Ghorbani Mojarrada from the University of Bradford, who conducted a pilot audit of the Eyerising device in the UK, summarized:
"One of the potential benefits of this device for myopia control is that the therapy takes place at home and can be administered under parental supervision. [...] There were no adverse events reported with red light therapy in the UK pilot program. [...] When patients did not remember to use the device, the monitoring software detected this and sent them reminders. The device provides a new option for a non-optical approach. It is a valuable additional tool."
Initial safety concerns have been allayed
At first, there were concerns whether the laser beam would damage the retina. However, these fears have been clearly dispelled. We are talking about low-level therapy, not an ablative laser. Thanks to the natural micro-movements of the eyeball (saccades, accommodation, micro-tremor) and biological thermoregulation processes, the energy is dissipated and there is no local overheating of the photoreceptors. Studies in animal models and real-world clinical data support safety when following the protocol. There is also more and more talk about the development of versions based on LED matrices, which further increase the safety margin.
Red light therapy is the best way to control myopia in children - the key role of adherence
A child very often takes off his glasses while playing, learning or doing everyday activities. Nobody monitors it in real time. RLRL therapy solves this problem: the device records each session, sends automatic reminders and allows the doctor to check the regularity of use. Additionally, parents who have invested in comprehensive treatment naturally care about its consistent implementation. This combination of technology and adherence psychology makes RLRL currently the most effective tool in cases of progressive myopia, regardless of the size of the defect, and especially in combination with defocusing optics.
Want to know more? Welcome to Krótkowzroczność.pl
The topic of myopia does not end with one treatment method or article. That's why I co-create Krótkowzroczność.pl - a place where we try to collect in one, organized system the knowledge needed by both parents of children with myopia and professional colleagues.
It is currently one of the most extensive and substantive Polish portals devoted exclusively to myopia: its epidemiology, diagnostics, progression, control options and scientific evidence behind individual treatment methods.
We publish there expert articles, research and scientific evidence, discuss available therapy methods and show how to translate knowledge from publications into real practice.
I especially encourage you to use the AL Calculator and the eye axial length percentile charts. This tool allows you to plot subsequent eye axial length measurements on percentile charts and observe them on the time axis. Instead of looking only at a single result, you can see the direction of change and better understand the dynamics of progression.
For those who would like a broader view of the scale of the problem, we have also prepared an extensive review of myopia epidemiology — from population data to the 2050 perspective.
Krótkowzroczność.pl has been prepared both for specialists who want to have organized sources and tools at hand, and for parents who need to understand what is actually happening with their child's vision.
If you want to go deeper into this topic - that's where I invite you.
AL calculator and centile charts
Plot your eye axial length measurements on percentile charts and view them along the time axis. A tool for specialists and parents to help better understand the dynamics of myopia progression.
OPEN CALCULATOR ↗ KNOWLEDGE · EPIDEMIOLOGY · 2050Myopia: the scale of the phenomenon and the perspective 2050
Extensive study of the epidemiology of myopia: population data, changes in incidence, factors influencing the scale of the problem and the perspective of the next decades.
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