Eye Care: Myopia Control In Children

Myopia is found to be very common these days. It is the cause of impaired vision, mainly in Children. Below we discuss the effectiveness of Orthokeratology and what you need to know.

Effectiveness of Orthokeratology 

In myopia control, orthokeratology has a significant effect in both partial and full correction of myopia. It can slow myopic progression by 36 to 56% in children compared to those wearing traditional spectacles or contact lenses. This effect is accomplished in different ways such as:

•By limiting axial elongation of the eye to deal with the specific concern in high myopes in excess of 6.00D

•By making an early intervention as necessary with Ortho-k treatment. 

Both these approaches enhance the effectiveness of the modality for reducing myopic progression in children. Apart from the significant effects and best results, Ortho-k is a safe treatment for decreasing myopic progression. 

•According to the Children’s Overnight Orthokeratology Investigation, it is evaluated that visual changes, refractive error, and ocular health can be improved in children with this specific treatment.

•In addition to that, the Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children, LORIC study revealed that the axial elongation in children decreased by approximately 50% through orthokeratology compared to spectacled controls. 

Both these studies further substantiated the efficacy, safety, and usefulness of Ortho-k treatment in children. The Corneal Reshaping also confirms the outcome and intervention of this treatment and Yearly Observation of Myopia, CRAYON, making it all the more popular and widely used therapy for myopia control.

Orthokeratology

The process of orthokeratology involves using specially designed Gas Permeable Contact Lenses. These lenses are worn at night while sleeping. These lenses are known to correct nearsightedness temporarily, along with several other vision problems. Effectively, using the GPCL may eliminate the need to use glasses or contact lenses during waking hours.

•These Ortho-k lenses are used by doctors to control myopia progression in children. Many instances show that nearsighted kids who underwent Orthokeratology for several years ended up with a reduced degree of myopia when they reached adulthood. 

•The results are better compared to those children who use regular eyeglasses or contact lenses when they face myopia progression at its peak.

Over the years, with the propagation of Ortho-k and other myopia control processes, it is expected that fewer kids will need glasses in the future for seeing distant objects. The primary reason behind this is that:

•Children using Ortho-k lenses experience a slower increase in axial length by 43 percent.

•Younger children using corneal reshaping GP lenses experience a more significant reduction of myopia progression.

•The benefit of this reduced myopia progression stretched beyond the first year of myopia treatment.

Therefore, the studies show that wearing Ortho-k lenses or orthokeratology is far better for myopia control than using eyeglasses and contact lenses while you are awake.

The Overnight Effects

There are some effects of overnight orthokeratology lens wear to treat corneal issues, such as its thickness typically involved the reverse geometry design. 

•These lenses formed the baseline of the corneal apical radius of curvature.

•The corneal eccentricity is typically derived from the corneal topographer, the horizontal visible iris diameter, and the desired changes in the refractive indices. 

In the treatment process, a J-Contour conventional aspheric RGP lens was fitted on the right eye that typically had a 0.50 D flatter reading than the flattest keratometry. It was then adjusted as necessary by using a standard rigid contact lens fitting process. Sodium fluorescein was used for this matter to attain a clinically acceptable fit.

Summing It Up

The orthokeratology treatment technique has a significant effect in rectifying refractive error by converting it to spherical equivalent. It is also beneficial for corneal or stromal thickness through the horizontal meridian of the cornea. As for the epithelial thickness, it was calculated by subtraction. Orthokeratology is here to stay to ensure children of the future do not have vision problems.