Eye Doctors Recommend Orthokeratology Vision Correction for Athletes
Athletes, Eyeglasses and Lenses
In sport, wearing eyeglasses is inconvenient. Contact lenses may also be problematic, because they may:
- fall off
- irritate the eye
- dry out, and thus affect vision acuity
Athletes and LASIK - Laser Eye Vision Correction
LASIK seems to be ideal for athletes, but it still has some downsides:
- lowest age for LASIK is 18 or 21 years
- LASIK is a permanent vision correction, so eventual complications from LASIK, like glare and halos around lights, persistent dry eyes, and contrast sensitivity, may also be permanent
Eye Doctors Recommend Orthokeratology (Ortho-k or OK) for Athletes
In orthokeratology, special Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses are worn only at night (for at least 8 hours) and removed the next morning. Cornea temporarily reshapes and flattens in this time, what results in visual acuity during the day. For some people, it can take a few weeks of wearing the ortho-k lenses at night to reach stable vision acuity. If you’re from US, you might consider to find an eye doctor in Colorado, with several reputable eye-care centers.
Who is a Candidate for Orthokeratology?
Conditions for Orthokeratology are:
- up to -6.00 D (diopters) of nearsightedness (myopia), or up to -1.75 D of astigmatism (approved by FDA), (4);
- ther’re no specific age requirements (4);
- no eye disease or allergy;
- ability to take care about lenses independently.
Orthokeratology is Reversible
After stopping wearing ortho-k lenses, cornea returns to its original shape, and vision impairment returns to its original degree. Ortho-k may somewhat reduce the progression of nearsightedness in children (1).
Cautions
Ortho-k lenses may have severe side effects, including infection and blindness, if not used and cleaned correctly (2,3). Only FDA-approved ortho-k lenses should be used (demand FDA approval from optometrist), and cheap lenses should be avoided.
The Cost of Ortho-k
Because of special design and fitting equipment, Orto-k lenses are more expensive than regular contact lenses. On the other hand, Ortho-k is about half the price of LASIK, the cost is between $1,500 to $3,000 for both eyes.
References:
- http://www.allaboutvision.com/sportsvision/orthokeratology-athletes.htm ORTHOKERATOLOGY
- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/6245.php SIDE EFFECTS OF ORHO-K
- http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/bulletin/carn-bcei_v16n2-eng.php#4 INFECTION WITH ACANTHAMOEBA KERATITIS IN ORTHO-K LENSES USER
- http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/orthok.htm FDA REGULATIONS FOR ORTHOKERATOLOGY