Orthokeratology: an overnight treatment for myopia

If you’re nearsighted, orthokeratology can be an effective alternative to wearing glasses or contacts. This non-surgical treatment involves wearing rigid, custom-fit lenses overnight to temporarily reshape your cornea. Here’s a look at how orthokeratology can improve your vision.

What to expect
Orthokeratology lenses are made of a sturdy, gas-permeable material that flattens the center of the cornea while still allowing oxygen to reach your eye. For best results, these lenses should be worn for at least six consecutive hours every night.

You may experience some minor discomfort during the first week as your eyes get used to the rigid lenses. When you remove the lenses in the morning, your cornea will stay flat and change the way light enters your eye. This vision correction usually lasts about 24 to 48 hours.

How it can help
Though it can’t permanently correct your vision, orthokeratology slows the progression of myopia in 50 to 90 percent of cases. Among other things, this preventive action can help you:

·Avoid further eye health problems
·Reduce your risk of retinal detachment
·Prevent the appearance of eye floaters

To find out if orthokeratology is right for you, speak with your optometrist.