Most people suffering from refractive errors such as myopia would rather not depend on prescription glasses or contact lenses to see throughout the day. They also wish they could experience improved eyesight without having eye surgery. While the idea may seem far-fetched, it can be your reality through orthokeratology or ortho-k. 

 

What Is Ortho-k?

Refractive errors often occur due to the cornea shape or the eye lens. Light rays entering the eye cannot focus on the retina properly if the eye lens, cornea, or both do not have the appropriate shape. As a result, an individual’s vision becomes distorted.
 

Ortho-k is a treatment technique that reshapes the cornea by wearing rigid gas-permeable lenses overnight. Your vision improves upon waking up and will remain clear throughout the day. The lenses correct astigmatism, myopia, and hyperopia. They can also treat age-related sight problems like presbyopia in some cases.
 

Ortho-k lenses can slow down or stop refractive error progression. It helps kids with managing their refractive errors such as myopia. Hence, most patients prefer them over traditional contacts.

 

Benefits of Ortho-k

Below are some of the benefits that ortho-k offers:
 

• You can discontinue the treatment at any time—it is flexible.
• Ortho-k lenses allow clear vision during the day without needing corrective lenses.
• It is a safe and noninvasive treatment.
• Ortho-k lenses correct several vision problems.
• The lenses slow myopia progression.
• Ortho-k results last for the entire day.

Who Benefits From Ortho-k?

Most people choose ortho-k lenses for the following reasons:
 

• Activities or work that require them to have clear vision without wearing corrective lenses like prescription glasses or contacts.
• Hard-to-fit contacts prescription.
• Problems like allergies that inhibit wearing daily contacts.

What to Expect?

Orthokeratology does not achieve your ideal vision correction right away. It will take a few weeks to get the optimal correction you desire. However, some patients experience remarkable improvements in their vision after a few days. Thus, your experience can vary.
 

You may need a series of ortho-k lenses to wear before you achieve your ideal prescription. Sometimes, you may wear up to three pairs of lenses for your cornea to reshape precisely through the lens technology. You will use one pair after another until your eye doctor determines the most suitable pair. You will use the retainer lenses immediately after your cornea attains the desired curvature.
 

Ortho-k vision improvements are not permanent. However, using the lenses as directed helps retain the correction. 

 

Are You an Ortho-k Candidate?

Your eye doctor will help you determine if you qualify for the treatment. Orthokeratology may be the right option if you have mild to moderate myopia. It is also ideal for mild astigmatism, which causes blurred vision due to corneal imperfection.
 

Orthokeratology is ideal for adolescents or kids who cannot get LASIK due to their young age and do not like prescription glasses for vision correction. It is also the best treatment for young patients who may not be eligible for other forms of eye surgery.
 

For more about ortho-k, visit Montebello Optometry, Eye Clinic & Dry Eye Center at our office in Montebello, California. Call (323)772-5800 to book an appointment today.