Orthokeratology, commonly known as ortho-k, is a treatment that uses a special type of contact lenses to reshape a person’s cornea. The treatment involves giving patients gas-permeable contact lenses that are worn during sleep overnight instead of during the day. These lenses gradually and gently reshape the surface of the patient’s eyes during their sleep, so they can see clearly during the day without having to wear contacts or eyewear. This improved vision can last up to two days.
Ortho-k is commonly used as a treatment to eliminate conditions like astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia. Studies indicate this approach is particularly effective at slowing down the progression of myopia in children.
Myopia has become a more common eye issue over the past 30 years, affecting roughly 1.5 billion people worldwide. Orthokeratology has been effectively used to treat myopia for over 20 years, and this approach addresses the cause of the patient’s eye issues instead of simply correcting them.
The practice goes back as far as the 1940s when scientists discovered contact lenses could be used to reshape a person’s eyes. Advancements in gas permeable lenses led to ortho-k emerging as an effective treatment since they allowed patients to go to sleep with contacts on, without depriving their eyes of oxygen.
While the idea of reshaping a person’s eye with contact lenses might sound painful, wearing the special contacts used for the treatment does not cause pain. The contacts work by reshaping vaults of fluid over the patient’s eye in a way that corrects their vision.
The correction is only temporary, and it should go away within a couple of days. Patients could also wear their contacts during the day if they wished, but more comfortable alternatives are available for day use, like soft contact lenses.
It typically takes multiple visits to an optometrist to fit a patient for orthokeratology lenses. Patients often have to use multiple sets of temporary lenses, and it might take several months to find the perfect fit for them. It is worth the hassle, though, since this approach is more effective at correcting vision problems.
Orthokeratology is an effective way to correct common vision issues like astigmatism, hyperopia, or myopia. Children and young adults often make the best candidates since they are not eligible for refractive or LASIK surgery treatments.
Anyone who needs vision correction but would rather not have to deal with wearing contacts or eyeglasses during the day can benefit from ortho-k. For example, an athlete might prefer wearing contacts at night so that they can see clearly during the day without any eyewear. The procedure is typically not covered by many insurance providers since it is deemed an elective procedure.
Correcting the shape of a person’s eye is one of the most effective ways to correct vision problems. Give us a call or visit our Mt Vernon to set up an appointment with our optometrist.
Get more information here: https://brighteyesmv.com or call Bright Eyes Optometry at (914) 668-1429
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Ortho-K in Mt Vernon, NY.
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