Millions of people around the world, getting out of bed in the morning, put on glasses or put contact lenses in their eyes in a habitual movement to be able to see normally. How wonderful it would be if everything was the other way around: after waking up, you take off (!) special lenses that brought your vision back to normal during sleep – and no glasses and contact lenses for the whole next day!
It sounds fantastic, but, nevertheless, night lenses, imperceptibly for the sleeping person correcting visual acuity for the next day, are already a reality! Such lenses are called orthokeratological (their other names are OK lenses, OKL, ortho lenses, lenses for night wear, night lenses). This revolutionary new method of correcting myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism in children and adults appeared in our country thanks to the Ophthalmological Laser Center.
Orthokeratology lenses (OKL) are special hard contact lenses that are worn 10-15 minutes before bedtime. At night, imperceptibly for a sleeping person, without interfering with his sleep, OKL changes the shape of your cornea in a given way, without violating the integrity of its layers. In the morning, the lenses are removed, and the effect of their night work is preserved for the whole next day, until late in the evening! This means that a person is free for the whole day from contact lenses and glasses, and from the restrictions imposed by wearing these “eye crutches”! There are OKLs to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism! Night lenses are “breathable”, so during sleep the eyes receive the oxygen they need.
The effect of OKLs is cumulative – on the first night, vision will be restored by a maximum of 70-75%, but after 7-10 days it can reach 100%. Regular use of OKLs does not allow the cornea to return to its original state, which makes its artificially created shape permanent for the period of lens use.
The resulting effect is comparable to the effect of laser eye surgery, but is completely reversible: a few days after the end of the use of night lenses, vision will return to its original state.
The service life of ortho lenses with proper handling (they are washed in a special solution after each dressing) is 1 year. By the way, after this period, only the oxygen permeability of the lens decreases, but not its effect.
In general, the indications for orthokeratological correction are as follows: myopia up to 6–7 D, astigmatism up to 2 D, hyperopia up to 3–4 D. Since each eye is unique, the recommended limits for each individual patient can be expanded at the discretion of the ophthalmologist.
90% of patients who are prescribed orthokeratology lenses are children. OK lenses not only return good vision to children, but also inhibit the development of myopia! With lenses for night wear, the child actively and fully lives with good vision, and at the same time, throughout the day, he trains the accommodative apparatus of his eyes! The child can rub his eyes, run, jump, swim, do any sports and activities without restrictions! The complete absence of physical limitations associated with wearing glasses and regular contact lenses also solves a number of psychological problems. With progressive myopia in a child, do not waste time contacting the Ophthalmological Laser Center, because the development of myopia can be stopped: imagine that a boy or girl who has high myopia (more than -6 diopters) could stop at 1-2 diopters!
OKL is also suitable for adults with intolerance to soft contact lenses, as well as for those who cannot wear glasses or daily contact lenses due to professional conditions; those who are contraindicated in laser eye surgery due to too thin cornea. OK lenses make life easier for people to a large extent, relieving them of all the restrictions associated with wearing glasses and ordinary contact lenses: you can lead an active lifestyle without restrictions, engage in many sports, women can use decorative cosmetics …
Lenses are made to order after measuring all the parameters of the eye using special modern equipment. Carrying out keratotopography (scanning the surface of the cornea to determine its sphericity) and other studies that precede the selection of night lenses (and it is a priori more difficult and expensive than the selection of conventional soft contact lenses) can only be afforded by a large professional clinic, such as the Ophthalmological Laser Center “. Perhaps that is why the method has not yet become widespread, despite its attractiveness and, most importantly, ease of achieving results.
It is important that the doctor has experience in refractive therapy and is a certified orthokeratologist. Thanks to the unique equipment and innovative methods used in the field of ophthalmology, the doctors of the Ophthalmological Laser Center return one of the most important abilities to the citizens of Kyrgyzstan – to see clearly. Take care of your health and do not deny yourself and your loved ones the opportunity to look at the world with clear eyes!
