Imagine waking up tomorrow and being told you could spend the entire day without glasses.
The solution is not surgery,but something you wore while sleeping.
Sounds unreal? But this has turned into reality because of Orthokeratology (Ortho-K).
Wearing glasses,contact lenses or LASIK surgery are some of the primary ways to correct vision.But Ortho-K uses a different approach.It uses specially designed rigid contact lenses to be worn overnight, which help in gentle reshaping of cornea during sleep.This helps in achieving clear vision the next day without spectacles or daytime lenses.In short it works like braces which help in reshaping of teeth.
However,unlike LASIK surgery, the effect is temporary and attractive for patients who want a non-surgical option.At the same time it requires careful monitoring, hygiene and needs consultation with an opthalmologist.
As myopia rates are rising especially among children because of increasing screen exposure, researchers are exploring its role in slowing the progression of eyesight worsening.This suggests
that future of eye care might focus more on slowing disease progression rather than simply correcting it later.
Do you think treatments like Orthokeratology could become more common in the future despite the cost ?
MBH/PS
