Do you often wear prescription eyewear? If so, you must have imagined how easier life would've been if you no longer depended on eyeglasses or contact lenses. You want to correct your vision problems without eye surgery. The good news is this idea only sounded far-fetched in the past. But it's an option for many people these days. Thanks to orthokeratology or ortho-k, it's now possible to correct refractive errors and slow the progression of nearsightedness in children. But who could be a good candidate for this treatment? Your eye doctor may recommend ortho-k if you have the following vision problems:

 

• Nearsightedness. Ortho-k lenses work best for patients with blurry distance vision or nearsightedness who have a lens prescription of up to -6.00 diopters. The treatment is often used to temporarily correct this type of refractive error. 

• Astigmatism. You may also benefit from this type of corneal reshaping lenses if you have low to moderate astigmatism. It's a refractive error marked by uneven eye curvature. Ortho-k lenses can also help improve high levels of astigmatism. But it usually doesn't have as good an outcome as those with lower levels of astigmatism. 

• Other Refractive Errors. Farsighted people generally experience variable results from ortho-k. Your eye doctor may recommend this type of treatment to treat your farsightedness. If the results are not sufficient, you don't have to worry as they're only temporary and reversible. For those who developed presbyopia or age-related farsightedness and wear reading glasses, you may still need your reading glasses after using ortho-k. But you can expect your nearsightedness to reduce after treatment.

Ortho-k is an excellent alternative for patients who are too young to undergo LASIK and whose prescriptions frequently change. People who lead an active lifestyle, making contact lens wear impractical, also find ortho-k a perfect solution. 

What to Expect From Ortho-K

Ortho-k refers to the use of special contact lenses to improve vision by reshaping your cornea temporarily. Most patients wear ortho-k lenses at night to reshape the front surface of their eyes as they sleep. The time it takes to benefit from the maximum effects of ortho-k varies for each patient. The duration depends on several factors, such as the amount of refraction that needs to be corrected. But some patients reported having been able to achieve improved vision after one or two days since wearing their special lenses for a night. For those who require higher prescriptions, it may take a couple of weeks or even longer to achieve maximum vision correction. The effects are reversible. But you can maintain your improved vision by wearing the ortho-k lenses more often as directed by your eye doctor. 

The vision improvements from the use of ortho-k lenses can last for more than a day. Sometimes you can benefit from its vision-clearing effects for up to 48 hours. During this time, you will likely be entirely or mostly free of your vision problems. 

Ortho-k is safe for all ages, so long as your eyes are healthy. But it's not a suitable treatment option for everyone. It's best to speak with your eye doctor if you're interested in ortho-k. Schedule your consultation today at Look! Optometry. Call our office now in Manhattan Beach, California, at 310-796-5665 to make an appointment.