What Orthokeratology Does

During sleep, Ortho-K lenses gently reshape the cornea, a clear membrane that covers the front of the eye and holds 70 percent of the eye’s focusing power. As we age, the cornea’s shape and contour changes, which modifies our vision. If the cornea becomes too steep, light rays focus do not focus correctly on the retina, resulting in myopia or nearsighted vision (seeing well close up but not at a distance). A cornea that is unevenly curved causes light rays to focus on different areas of the retina, resulting in astigmatism (blurred vision at any distance). Ortho-K lenses work to gently correct these issues while the wearer sleeps.

Upon awakening, wearers remove the contacts and experience clear distance vision all day. Wearers often notice improvements in their vision after just one night, though it may take several weeks to achieve more lasting results. Ortho-K lenses must be worn every night, as the results of corneal reshaping are temporary.

Wearing the lenses during sleep may feel uncomfortable for some individuals at first, but the discomfort usually goes away as a patient adjusts to them. If a patient decides not to continue using Orthokeratology, she can simply stop wearing the lenses and resume wearing glasses or regular contacts.

Why Try Orthokeratology?

• Eliminating discomfort from glasses or contacts

• Slowing the progression of nearsightedness (for children)

• Eliminating the risk of breaking glasses during physical activity

• Seeing clearly in a broader range of contexts, such as while swimming or in the rain.

Who Can Benefit

Prime candidates for Orthokeratology include:

• Nearsighted individuals under age 40

• Patients who need vision correction of under -5.50 diopters

• People who experience poor results with contact lenses or glasses

• Athletes or active individuals

• Children with early developing nearsightedness.

Ask your optometrist if he or she can fit you for corneal reshaping lenses. This must be done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist who has been trained in the Orthokeratology technique. To find an optometrist near you, visit IntermountainClinics.org.

____________________________________________________________________________________-

AUTHOR:

 

CHERYL TORGHELE, OD

Optometry

Salt Lake Clinic

385.282.2850

SaltLakeClinic.org