Orthokeratology is termed for the process of reshaping the eyes with the aid of a specially-designed gas permeable (GP) or rigid gas gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses.
Orthokeratology aims to flatten the eye's front surface which is the cornea to correct mild to moderate refractive errors such as astigmatism and nearsightedness.
The gas permeable lenses are specially-designed to gently reshape cornea during sleep correcting vision allowing the wearer to see clearly without the aid of glasses and contact lenses at daytime.
However, the effect of orthokeratology is temporary, usually just enough to get the person through the entire one to two days.
Therefore, the GP lenses for orthokeratology should be worn every night at bedtime so maintain a clearer vision during the entire day.
Generally, orthokeratology or ortho-k is a very good option for persons who suffer nearsightedness that are not old enough to be a candidate for LASIK surgery.
And since ortho-k is safe to be discontinued anytime the individual chooses to stop, anyone with healthy eyes can try this procedure without causing permanent changes to the shape of the eyes.
Ortho-k is ideal for persons who play sports or who work in an unhygienic environment making contact lens wearing difficult.
The ortho-k procedure aims to correct vision to 20/20 without the needing the person to wear eyeglasses and contact lenses during the entire day.
The rate of success of this procedure is higher for those with mild prescriptions.
The full effect of ortho-k can be made apparent after several weeks, however, an improvement in vision can be appreciated after a day or two of GP lens wearing for ortho-k.
During the first few weeks of ortho-k, the person may not have clearer vision as what glasses and contacts provide.
The person may experience seeing glares and halos around lights until the full effect of ortho-k is achieved.
When this happens, the person may need to wear temporary eyeglasses when driving at night.
On its comfort side, since ortho-k gas permeable lenses are worn at night during sleep, most individuals generally feel comfortable without any reports of a problem associated with lens wearing.
Since ortho-k is a considerably longer process than any regular contacts fitting, it may be cost more compared to regular contact lenses.
Series of visits to the optometrist is required to try multiple pairs of lenses.
You may visit your eye doctor Austin for more ortho-k information which can be necessary to help you decide whether to opt for this procedure in the near future.