Did you know that nearsightedness is the most common eye problem worldwide? An estimated 22.9 percent of the global population suffers from this refractive error. Thanks to developments in eye medicine, though, many treatments are now available to reduce nearsightedness.


One of these is known as orthokeratology or Ortho-K. It's a process that involves wearing specially designed gas-permeable contact lenses at night to temporarily reshape your cornea as you sleep. You remove the contacts the next morning. Then, you get to enjoy a clear vision that lasts throughout the day. Are you interested in temporarily correcting your nearsightedness or probably even other refractive errors? Read on to find out more about how you may be a good candidate for Ortho-K.

Factors to Consider

A good candidate for Ortho-K is a child aged eight to 12 years old struggling with progressive myopia. These special lenses may also benefit teenagers and adults. But studies show that the best success seems to be with patients below the age of 40. Experts generally recommend Ortho-K to patients with a mild degree of nearsightedness, about -4 diopters (D), or even less.


In some cases, though, Ortho-K may also work well with patients who have up to -6.00 D of nearsightedness and not more than -1.75 D of astigmatism. Diopter is the unit used to measure a lens' optical power. A 0.00 eye prescription indicates good vision that doesn't require focusing power. While a negative number represents nearsightedness, a positive number suggests farsightedness.

Those who are farsighted or suffer from a higher degree of nearsightedness can still try Ortho-K. However, results may be less certain. Keep in mind that not all people get perfect results from using Ortho-K lenses. Some patients are still left with a degree of nearsightedness.


If you have other vision problems and typically require separate eyewear for distance or reading, you may not be a good candidate for Ortho-K. The same goes for people who have dry eye syndrome or large pupil size. It's best to consult with your eye doctor to determine whether you're a good candidate for Ortho-K or not.

What to Expect in an Ortho-K Process?

Once your doctor decides that you're a suitable candidate for Ortho-K, they will ask you to wear the special contacts just at night. In a week or two, you will notice that your nearsightedness will gradually reduce. During this time, when your vision is changing, you'd have to wear disposable soft contact lenses during the day. It can take a couple of weeks, and sometimes longer, to achieve the optimal vision correction from Ortho-K. Although, some patients report significant improvement in their vision within just a few days.


Once the treatment phase is over, you may start wearing your Ortho-K lenses at night only. Then, see well during the day without the aid of corrective lenses. Some patients only have to wear their special lenses every other night, or even just once a week, to maintain the correction. In clinical studies completed by the United States Food and Drug Administration, most patients who wore the approved Ortho-K lenses managed to achieve about 20/40 vision or even better.

To learn more about Ortho-K, Visit Premier Eye Care at our office today in Fort Worth, Texas. Call (817) 428-2020 to make an appointment.