5 Benefits of Wearing Special Contact Lenses at Night
Do you have myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (irregularities in the curvature of your cornea) or presbyopia (age-related hyperopia)? If so, you should consider orthokeratology. This treatment corrects these refractive errors by gently reshaping the front surface of the eye and allowing the image to focus on the retina.
Ortho-K lenses is not a permanent treatment, however, these night contacts can help.
Patients wear these Ortho-K lenses overnight and sleep with them in their eyes. While the overnight contact lenses are worn, they reshape the front surface of the eye. In the morning, the patient wakes up, removes the lenses, and will enjoy clear vision without having to wear glasses or daytime contacts lenses. The correction reliably lasts throughout the day, until bedtime rolls around again and it’s time to insert the lenses again.
There are many benefits to wearing these types of special night contact lenses at night, including:
Clear vision
A question you may have is, “How do overnight contacts work?”. Refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia make it difficult for the patient to see properly without glasses or contact lenses. Wearing ortho-K lenses overnight can correct the patient’s vision so that during the day he or she will experience visual freedom without needing to wear contact lenses or glasses
Athletic performance
Ortho-K lenses are especially great for athletes because they provide visual freedom and will not need to rely on glasses or contact lenses for enhanced sports performance. In many sports, wearing glasses is not an option and wearing contacts might be uncomfortable or distracting. Night contacts like Ortho-K lenses offer an ideal solution, by correcting vision during the night so that the patient doesn’t need to wear any vision correction during the day. There’s a similar benefit to orthokeratology for professionals whose jobs demand clear vision, such as pilots or drivers.
Comfort
Not having to wear glasses or contacts all the time is just more comfortable than the alternative. With orthokeratology, the lenses are worn during sleep and they those using them will essentially not feel them at all. The rest of the time, you can enjoy clear vision with nothing irritating your eyes or resting on your ears and the bridge of your nose.
No surgery necessary
For patients who are not eligible for LASIK or other refractive surgery – especially kids or teenagers—ortho-K lenses are an extremely effective method for vision correction. Orthokeratology is completely reversible when the treatment is interrupted and therefore free of any surgical risk.
Slowed progression of childhood myopia
In addition to providing daytime vision correction, there is research to clearly demonstrating that ortho-K lenses offer long-term clinical benefits for children with myopia. Indeed, several studies, including a study at the University of Melbourne in Australia showed that orthokeratology can slow the progression of childhood myopia. In the study, children with myopia who wore orthokeratology lenses progressed significantly less than those wearing conventional contact lenses or spectacles. With the evident myopia epidemic and myopia increasing all over the world at alarming rates, this benefit is of utmost importance.
Related post: Am I a Good Candidate for Ortho-K Lenses?
Orthokeratology is typically most effective for patients experience mild to moderate levels of refractive error. If you are wondering whether this treatment method might be ideal for you or your children, contact Miami Contact Lens Institute today. We are experts in all types of contact lenses, including custom designed specialty lenses like ortho-K lenses. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
More Information about Orthokeratology (Video)
Do you have more questions regarding how do overnight contacts work? Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment to learn more about night contacts!