Orthokeratology or corneal reshaping therapy involves the use of special lenses to help patients see clearly during the day without wearing contacts or glasses. These lenses are worn overnight and reshape the front surface of the eye or the cornea.
Read on to discover what to expect when your child is starting this treatment.
Assessment
During an eye exam, an orthokeratology specialist will check your child’s eyes to determine if ortho-k lenses are fit for their vision condition. This treatment is usually prescribed to nearsighted individuals with or without a low level of astigmatism. Along with a regular eye exam, the eye doctor may also use a computer imaging tool to map the corneas.
If your child is found a candidate for this treatment, then both of their eyes will be fitted for ortho-k lenses. It’s to ensure that the lenses properly rest on their cornea according to its curvature, diameter, and height. After the fitting, the optometrist will either give you the lenses or order them for pickup.
Using Your Ortho-K Lenses for the First Time
Ortho-k lenses are gas permeable and are not the same as your regular, soft contact lenses. While these lenses require different care, they go in like soft contacts. However, a few lubricating drops are needed before putting them on the eyes.
Clean the lenses as recommended by your eye care provider before wearing them. Always check them for chips and scratches. At first, your child may feel weird to have something in their eyes while sleeping but after a few days, they’ll get used to it.
When removing the lenses in the morning, they will need to use the special remover given by the optometrist. Removing ortho-k lenses should be easy and painless. Usually, your doctor will meet with you the first morning after wearing your ortho-k lenses. They can help if your child is having difficulties with the remover and also asses how well the lenses worked for child
Learn more about contact lenses, eyeglasses, and other vision correction methods by contacting an eye specialist in your area.
