myopia control

Myopia is a growing epidemic in the United States and the entire world. Orthokeratology is a treatment used for myopia control to reduce the progression of myopia. Currently, 30% of people in the world are myopic. By the year 2050, 50% of people in the world will be myopic.

What is myopia?

Myopia, also called nearsightedness, is the most common cause of impaired vision in people under the age of 40. Myopic individuals will have difficulty reading and seeing distant objects. However, these individuals can see close-up objects.

Myopia occurs when the eyeball is too long causing light to focus at a point in front of the retina rather than directly on the retina. Myopia typically begins in childhood and stabilizes in early adulthood. However, in some cases, it progressively gets worse with age.

Symptoms of Myopia Include:

• Squinting

• Eyestrain

• Headaches

Benefits of Ortho-K for Myopia Control

Myopia control is the term to describe treatments to slow the progression of myopia in children. By controlling myopia progression, you can reduce the risk of vision-threatening complications, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment.

Orthokeratology (ortho-k) or corneal reshaping therapy (CRT) is proven to temporarily correct mild to moderate amounts of myopia. Patients only have to wear Ortho-K contact lenses at night during sleep. The lenses gently reshape the front surface of the patient’s eyes to correct vision. In the morning when patients remove these lenses, they can see without glasses or contact lenses throughout the day.

Ortho-K contact lenses are an excellent option for children and young adults who want to be glasses-free but are too young for LASIK or for those who are not good candidates for refractive surgery. Ortho-K lenses reshape the front surface of the eye every night and help to prevent further progression of myopia in childhood.

​​​​​​​Schedule an appointment with our office to discuss the benefits of ortho-k for your child and to see if your child is a candidate for this treatment.