Orthokeratology at Coal Creek Family Vision
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a vision correction option that allowed you to see clearly without using glasses or contact lenses during the day that didn’t require surgery? You may be surprised to know that such an option exists and it’s been around quite a while!
This exciting option is called orthokeratology or more commonly Ortho-K!
Orthokeratology’s origins date back to ancient China. Soldiers who would sleep with sand bags on their eyes reported better distance vision on waking. In 1962, George Jessen introduced a process he called “orthofocus” which would lay the groundwork for modern-day orthokeratology.
Today’s Ortho-K involves the overnight wear of sophisticated retainers which are similar to rigid gas permeable contact lenses. These retainers are worn during sleep and removed upon waking. For many satisfied patients, the result is a full day of clear vision without any need of glasses or contact lenses for their distance vision. Today’s retainer designs allow for consistent and reliable vision correction as a safe, reversible, non-surgical option. In many cases astigmatism can be corrected as well and most effective for low to moderate nearsightedness.
Standard contact lenses are reliable, providing good comfort and visual clarity for those with myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism while the lenses are on the eyes. However, Ortho-K eliminates the need for daytime contacts and allows people to continue to correct their vision over time. As one of the most popular specialized contact lenses, it’s considered an alternative for those who don’t qualify for eye surgery. At Coal Creek Family Vision, we offer this life-changing modality as a solution to help improve your vision over time and help you embrace the idea of seeing without glasses or contacts.
How Does Ortho-K Work?
The cornea is a clear, dome-shaped window responsible for focusing light onto the retina and for the eye’s ability to focus. Eyesight problems such as myopia often suffer from issues with the cornea’s ability to focus light on the retina. To change this dynamic, Ortho-K works by flattening the center of the cornea, altering how light enters the eye. They’re rigid gas-permeable lenses that allow oxygen to flow to the eye while maintaining its shape.
Because of their revolutionary design, these contact lenses are considered a way for people to leave glasses behind and avoid wearing contact lenses during the day. Most people can see results within a few weeks of treatment, but some may experience significant changes within the first few days.
What Conditions Can Ortho-K Treat?
At Coal Creek Family Vision, we’re happy to offer Ortho-K as a convenient, high-quality solution for your vision problems. Patients can enjoy the flexibility of seeing without glasses or contacts during the day and enjoy the ease of wearing Ortho-K lenses at night without experiencing any painful symptoms often associated with rigid lens use.
- Myopia Management: Children with myopia can be treated with Ortho-K as an option for Myopia Management improving their daytime vision and slow myopic progression over time.
- Myopia: Adults with myopia, or near-sightedness, can work with Ortho-K for improving their nearsightedness during waking hours when not wearing their lenses.
- Hyperopia: Ortho-K can also treat hyperopia, or far-sightedness, a condition that causes issues with reading, writing, and looking at objects up close.
- Astigmatism: Due to the misshapen curvature of the eye, Ortho-K can be used as a form of management for astigmatism, correcting the eyes over time, and can be used as an alternative to laser surgery.
- Presbyopia: Often occurring in middle-aged adults, presbyopia is farsightedness caused by the loss of eye elasticity; it can be treated with Ortho-K to improve vision blurriness throughout the day.
As a successful and effective treatment for vision problems, Ortho-K is considered an excellent option for those wishing to improve their vision without surgery. During your appointment with us, our optometrists will perform a comprehensive eye exam as well as take additional topographical measurements to ensure that you qualify for this treatment option. Once qualified, our optometrists will provide you with custom Ortho-K lenses to fine tune the fit and comfort of your treatment and make adjustments when necessary.
Adding Ortho-K to your nightly routine allows you to experience improvement in your vision without needing to wear glasses or contacts during the day.
If you would like to learn more about Ortho-K, schedule an appointment for an Annual Eye Exam with Contact Lenses with our team today!
