Ortho-K Treatment May Help Slow Myopia’s Progression In Teens
In this interesting New York Times article by Sindya N. Bhanoonov, we learn that the rate of myopia in children is on the rise. No one is sure why this is happening but some eye specialists are offering young patients special contact lenses that, when worn over night, can correct vision for the next day. This treatment is called orthokeratology or ortho-k for short. Ortho-k contact lenses put pressure on the cornea, flattening it temporarily. But the flattening lasts long enough that the patient can go through the whole next day with clear vision. Bhanoonov states, “The lenses have been around since the 1940s but caught on only recently in the United States, partly because of long-term clinical trials demonstrating that they may slow down the progression of myopia. A 2012 randomized clinical trial in Hong Kong, for instance, followed children for two years and found that the rate of growth of the eyeball in those wearing ortho-k lenses was 43 percent less than those who wore glasses.”