Many parents want to know whether Ortho-K or orthokeratology treatment can be used safely to help their nearsighted children especially those with degenerative myopia. We would like parents to know that Ortho-K contact lenses have been found to be very effective in controlling the progression of nearsightedness ( otherwise known as myopia). At Eyes of NM Family Optometry and Contact Lenses, we believe that Ortho-K corrective lenses are a great option for children since this treatment has many practical as well as medical benefits.
A Greater Sense of Freedom
In our previous article, we discussed how Ortho-K works and explained that it is not a permanent solution for myopia like laser eye surgery. However, it is a great alternative to wearing glasses or contact lenses throughout the day. Imagine how much more freedom your child will have when participating in sports or other activities without the restriction of daytime glasses or contact lenses!
Safe and Effective Treatment
Since your child will be wearing the Ortho-K corrective custom-designed rigid gas permeable contact lenses overnight to reshape the cornea, it allows you to monitor the wear and care of the lenses especially if your child is still too young to manage the care of his/her own contact lenses. What’s more, as the cornea is easily molded in children, treatment time tends to be shorter for them. While for adults it can take 2 to 4 weeks to see a significant improvement, for children it is almost immediate. It’s important to keep in mind that factors such as age, prescriptions, and an individual’s specific vision needs can affect the time needed to achieve fully-corrected daytime vision.
Protection Against Future Vision Issues
By wearing Ortho-K lenses, your child may be protected from the possibility of experiencing serious vision issues in later life such as retinal detachments, glaucoma, macular degeneration and early cataracts. Current evidence suggests that the prevalence of myopia is on the rise due to our modern lifestyle. Researchers believe that by 2050, almost five billion people worldwide will have myopia compared with two billion in 2010. From that five billion people, it is also estimated that one billion will experience significant ocular complications and vision loss due to high myopia.
Last Word
At Eyes of NM Family Optometry and Contact Lenses, we encourage parents to seriously consider the option of Ortho-K treatment for their children's myopia because it is an established non-surgical method of vision correction that has been safely used for over 20 years. Dr. Martinez and her staff will take careful measurements of your child’s eye and order custom-fitted and specially-designed rigid gas permeable contact lenses that will help control your child’s myopia and give them the freedom that all children deserve.
If you would like more information about Ortho-K for your child contact us or schedule an appointment with Eyes of NM Family Optometry and Contact Lenses to learn how your child can benefit from this innovative treatment.