Orthokeratology for Kids Suffering from Myopia

Ortho-K for Myopia Control

Serving San Jose, CA

Myopia Control for Children and Adults

Children that suffer from myopia (nearsightedness) now have the chance to achieve clear vision without wearing contact lenses or eyeglasses during the daytime. The use of orthokeratology in kids’ eye care is becoming more common than ever. Let’s explain the basics of what it is and how it works.

Typically called ortho-k, this cutting-edge treatment is worn overnight and keeps your child glasses and contacts free all day long.

Even after years of needing vision correction, orthok will allow you to leave your eyeglasses and contacts at home. And this is all accomplished without a need for surgery!

Dr. Mac, your OrthoK specialist in San Jose, is experienced and skilled in fitting adults and children with ortho-k lenses. Adults can also benefit from the use of Ortho-K. Imagine a day without worrying about losing a contact lens in your eye or taking out your lenses at night.

From Essilor of America:

Nearly half of all Americans suffer from myopia, and while many practitioners are aware of the rising rate of myopia in places like East Asia, many may not know there has been a dramatic increase in this condition in the United States over the last 10 years. Myopia is more than a refractive condition that causes annoyingly blurry vision, and it can impact the lives of patients with eye allergies who are affected.

We know how important clear comfortable vision is, especially to a child. Now, Essilor wants to increase awareness because they know that myopia is about more than clear vision. The risk for retinal pathologies and other ocular diseases increases tenfold for patients who do become high myopes. Essilor believes everyone in the eye care community has a role to play.

Myopia can now be treated as a standard of care, considering your quality of life and how to actively manage myopia vs. simply treating it.

By treating the condition the way it’s been considered in the past, only a small difference might be made in a patient’s vision. However, by managing myopia in a different way, we may be able to reduce their degree of blur when uncorrected, which improves their quality of life. This small change makes a big impact on patients.

Why Essilor Cares To fulfill Essilor’s commitment of eradicating poor vision in one generation, they must address the unprecedented growth of myopia in this country. That’s why Essilor has created an awareness campaign to help parents recognize the signs of myopia and direct them to get a comprehensive eye exam from an ECP.

Clear Vision – Without Eyewear

Also called vision shaping, ortho-k involves wearing specialized hard, gas permeable lenses while you sleep. These lenses gently mold your cornea into a new shape, thereby resolving any refractive error and correcting myopia. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll be able to remove the lenses and enjoy crystal-clear eyesight. The effects generally last one to two days, so the ortho-k lenses must be inserted nightly on a regular basis.

Who is a good candidate for ortho-k?

There are many different reasons to get fitted for OrthoK. Whether you are trying to slow down your child's nearsightedness, or your child is an athlete who is worried about eye injuries on the field, Dr. Mac has the patience and skill to get you into a pair of OrthoK lenses. Any nearsighted child with healthy eyes is a possible candidate for orthokeratology.

Benefits of Ortho-k for Kids

Myopia, always common in children, is an increasing problem. The number of kids who are nearsighted has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. The reason for this remains blurry, yet one possible culprit is the increased amount of time kids spend indoors gazing at digital screens, with limited exposure to natural light. Many parents are alarmed by their child’s need for a new vision prescription yearly, and parents and kids are disturbed by the increasing thickness of their eyeglass lenses.

Ortho-k offers an efficient way to slow, or possibly stop, the continued progression of nearsightedness in kids. In case you’re wondering why surgery isn’t a better option, keep in mind that laser procedures, such as LASIK, are not suitable for young children. As studies have demonstrated that orthokeratology is safe for all ages, it is currently regarded as the ideal option for myopia control in kids.

Additionally, ortho-k for kids also grants freedom to children who don’t want to be bothered by inconvenient eyewear. Frames are always falling off or being left behind, and replacement eyeglasses or repairs can run very high fees for parents. Ortho-k lenses are only worn in bed, so there’s virtually no risk of kids losing or damaging them. Regular contact lenses are often a poor choice for kids who spend a lot of their days in dusty, dirty playfields, and/or who are not able to commit to sterilizing contacts regularly.

Your child needs to get their eyes checked regularly. If your child has myopia and their vision prescription continually increases at each eye exam, ortho-k may be a good option. Regular eye exams with visual acuity testing are a necessary part of proper kids’ eye care. Dr. Mac, our San Jose Eye Doctor, will evaluate your child’s vision and ocular condition to determine candidacy for OrthoK. Please contact us at 408-272-7200 to schedule an appointment to discuss orthokeratology and whether it is a good fit for your child.