In our last blog post, we talked about Ortho K lenses and explained what Orthokeratology is and how it can help people with Myopia. This post will expand a little and talk about 5 things that you probably didn’t know about Ortho K lenses.
The Vision Correction Can Last More Than A Day
It is often thought that the effects of Ortho K only last a single day, however, it is common for people to enjoy a couple of days of corrected vision after wearing the nighttime contact lenses. It is recommended that ortho k contact lenses be worn every night to get the full benefits of these contact lenses.
Although the Ortho K contact lenses can be worn during the day, it is recommended that new users wear these at night due to the reshaping process being a little uncomfortable to begin with. While you are asleep these contact lenses can put gentle pressure on the cornea in order to give you naturally clear vision the following day.
The Cornea Reshaping Is Not Painful
The idea of the cornea being reshaped can sound painful and very uncomfortable. However, this could not be further from the truth! These contact lenses do not cause any pain if worn correctly and if worn at night the reshaping takes place whilst you are asleep. It is often thought that the reshaping is caused by a squeezing or squishing process caused form wearing the lenses however this instead comes from hydraulic forces. Simply put, the Ortho K lenses cause some parts of the cornea to take in more fluid and others to take less which causes the change in shape and corrects the vision.
Ortho K Is Perfect For Those That Do Not Want Surgery
Many people with vision problems wrongly assume that the only way to achieve the natural vision is to get Laser eye surgery. While Ortho K lenses do not offer the 100% glasses or contact lens free solution that the Laser procedure does, it is probably the next best thing. Being able to have clear, natural vision during the day at the price of only having to wear the Ortho K lenses during the night is seen by many users as a great trade-off. As mentioned earlier once a user has worn these special type of contact lenses for a while it is common to get 2 days of clear vision before having to wear them again.
They Are Great For Children
Ortho K lenses are great for children due to the fact that Laser surgery isn’t an option and also because it has been proven that this treatment is one of the most effective methods at slowing down progressive myopia. Also for children who do not want to wear glasses, Ortho K contacts provide a perfect solution and children wearing these often see great results.
Myopia is on the rise and it is estimated that around 5 billion people globally could be affected by 2050. The reason for this increase is thought to be related to people living longer, people spending less time outdoors and the surge in the amount of time people spend looking at screens.
Orthokeratology Isn’t New
There is a misconception that Orthokeratology is a recent innovation when in fact it has been around since the 1940s. It wasn’t until the 1990s however that the procedure really started to take off due to advances in technology. Since then there has been continued development year on year in the gas permeable lenses and the computerised topography software used to map the cornea and then to create the bespoke ortho k lenses.
If you are someone who feels you could benefit from Orthokeratology why not book a free Ortho k consultation with one of our expert optometrists?