Ortho-K Overnight Vision Correction for Myopia Control

Myopia, better known as nearsightedness, is the most common reason for someone to wear prescription glasses or contact lenses. It occurs when the curvature of the cornea causes light that enters the eye to fall short of focusing onto the retina. This means that while the patient can see nearby objects, like a book or their cellphone screen clearly, anything further away will look blurry. The greater the distance, the blurrier they will appear.

Why myopia control is important

Myopia is a very common condition, but many people don’t realize that it is also progressive. What this means is that without treatment, the vision of a patient with myopia can and will almost certainly continue to get worse. The worse it gets, the higher the prescription of glasses lenses or contact lenses will be needed to sufficiently correct their vision.

However, it’s not just higher prescriptions that are a concern if myopia progresses. Studies have shown that patients with high myopia are more likely to experience specific eye diseases as they get older, such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinal detachment. Many of these can have permanent consequences for your eyesight. Patients with high prescriptions may also be unsuitable for laser vision correction in the future. For this reason, eye doctors recommend that wherever possible, steps are taken to keep myopia under control.

What is ortho-k?

Ortho-k stands for orthokeratology, an innovative new treatment technique that both corrects patient vision and is an effective tool for myopia control.

Orthokeratology uses custom-designed gas permeable contact lenses that are worn overnight. The permeability of the lenses enables oxygen to reach the surface of the eyes and keep them healthy and comfortable, while the lenses themselves place gentle pressure onto the cornea to reshape it in such a way that the patient’s vision is completely corrected. Once the lenses are removed the next morning, the cornea is able to retain its shape for a number of hours, meaning that the patient can continue to see clearly without prescription eyewear during this time. The more regularly ortho-k lenses are worn overnight, the longer the eyes adapt to holding the new shape, meaning that it’s possible to get an entire day of clear vision without using prescription lenses.

Ortho-k is also completely reversible. Should you choose to cease treatment, you simply stop wearing your bespoke lenses and within a few days, your vision will return to how it was before you started your treatment. It’s important to note that all ortho-k lenses are designed specifically for each individual patient, enabling your eye doctor to better control myopia progression as well as achieving a more comfortable and stable fit for the individual.

While myopia control methods can be used by adults, they are most often recommended for children as the earlier control begins, the less myopia is likely to progress. Orthokeratology can be successfully used in most children, usually from around 8 years of age. Your eye doctor will be able to advise you if you or your child are a suitable candidate for orthokeratology.

To find out more about ortho-k overnight vision correction for myopia control, please contact our dedicated eye care specialists. Call Battle Born Eye Care in Reno, Nevada at 775-360-6446 to schedule an appointment today.