What is Orthokeratology?

See if Ortho-k is Right for You!

Do you have nearsightedness and need eyeglasses or contact lenses to see sharp? Have you ever dreamed about being able to see clearly without eyewear? While LASIK refractive laser surgery is an option for some people, other people are either turned off by the concept of surgery or they are not good candidates. If this all sounds familiar to you, then ortho-k may be your perfect solution!

Instead of always wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, ask our optometrist about ortho-k lenses. We are qualified and experienced with fitting ortho-k lenses in our Oxnard eye care center. To help you decide if orthokeratology is for you, keep reading for an introduction to the basics of this revolutionary treatment.

Intro to Ortho-k

Ortho-k lenses are specialized, hard gas permeable contact lenses that you insert before bedtime every night. Other names for this treatment include Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) or Overnight Vision Correction. As you sleep, ortho-k lenses gently mold and flatten your cornea. This reshaping process aims to correct any refractive error, thereby correcting your nearsightedness.

In the morning, all you need to do is remove the ortho-k lenses to find that your myopia is gone! There’s no reason to put on a pair of eyeglasses or insert a different pair of standard contact lenses. As these effects are temporary – typically lasting a few days – you’ll need to reinsert the contact lenses every night to maintain your new and improved crystal-clear eyesight!

Most of our Oxnard patients who try ortho-k notice improvement within one or two nights, yet it can take about four weeks to experience the full fantastic effects.

Do ortho-k contact lenses cause side effects?

At the very beginning, you may also see halos or starbursts around lights, yet these annoying side effects will dissipate rapidly. Some people report dry eyes, yet this also typically goes away within a few weeks.

Remember, by definition ortho-k lenses are a type of contact lens. Therefore, you will need to clean and disinfect them properly, just like conventional lenses. Otherwise, you risk developing an eye infection.

Who is a good candidate for ortho-k?

Typically, people with healthy eyes and mild to moderate nearsightedness (lens power less than -6.00 diopters and astigmatism less than -1.75 diopters) make the best candidates for ortho-k. Age doesn’t matter, and it is completely safe, FDA-approved and reversible. It is often a superb alternative for nearsighted kids (above age 5) who are too young for LASIK. To confirm your candidacy for orthokeratology vision shaping, you’ll need a comprehensive eye exam from your optometrist.

If you play sports regularly or spend a lot of time in dry, dusty environments, you’ll love the comfort and convenience of ortho-k. You can enjoy crisp vision without any cumbersome eyeglasses slipping down your nose or eye irritation from dry and dirty contact lenses.

Oxnard Kids Love Ortho-k!

Orthokeratology is recommended for children with progressive nearsightedness, particularly as an effective means for myopia control. Many recent studies have demonstrated how ortho-k lenses can suppress corneal growth, which slows or stops the progression of myopia.

Are you wondering why our Oxnard optometrist recommends myopia control for kids? Essentially, very high nearsightedness in children is linked to eye health complications in the future. In addition, it can be very annoying and costly to replace your child’s eyeglasses every year with thicker and thicker lenses! When kids constantly require new, more powerful vision prescriptions, it’s worthwhile to consider ortho-k contact lenses for their value as myopia control.

Learn the Benefits of Orthokeratology

As you consider this method of vision correction, consider what you have to gain:

• Ultimate comfort and convenience: say goodbye to eyeglasses and daytime contact lenses!
• Sharp vision, often better than you can achieve with eyeglasses
• No surgery required
• Kids reduce their eye health risks and don’t need new eyeglasses after each yearly eye exam

Do you want to know more about ortho-k? Our friendly optometrist is pleased to answer all your questions during a consultation in our Oxnard office.