What Are Ortho-K Contact Lenses?

April 3, 2022

Everyone is familiar with how contact lenses can be worn instead of glasses to provide clear vision through the day, but did you know there are special contact lenses that can be worn while you’re sleeping to achieve the exact same thing?

Welcome to the wonderful world of Orthokeratology, or Ortho-K for short.

Ortho-K lenses are small, highly breathable, hard contact lenses that are specifically worn overnight, every night, so that neither glasses, nor regular contact lenses need to be worn during the day. By their unique design, they gently reshape or remould the curvature the front surface of the eye which results in clear, comfortable vision as an alternative to wearing regular glasses or contact lenses. They are suitable for low to moderate amounts of myopia (short-sightedness) and small amounts of astigmatism.

The lenses are custom-made to a person’s prescription using a corneal topographer to precisely map the front surface curvature of the eye. The lenses are then computer generated and manufactured to exact specifications. Once Ortho-K lens wear commences, the improvement to vision occurs within days, with most patients becoming glasses free in less than a week! Regular aftercare appointments with your Optometrist will ensure the lens design remains optimised to provide the best vision outcomes, and appropriate cleaning procedures are being maintained to continue safe wear.

Many patients love wearing their Ortho-K lenses because it gives them the freedom of not having to rely on glasses during the day. They are therefore ideal for active people for whom glasses or normal contact lenses can be a hindrance. If lens wear is ceased, the eyes will quickly revert to their original shape and for this reason, Ortho-K is sometimes considered as a reversible alternative to refractive surgery.

The popularity of Ortho-K lenses has increased significantly over the past decade as they can help slow, or in some cases, halt, the progression of myopia in children (learn more about this exciting application of Ortho-K here ). Children as young as 8 years old can be successfully fitted with Ortho-K lenses, though they are very popular in those in their teens and 20s as well.