by Joel Harrison
22. May 2011 12:52
Orthokeratology (OK) contact lenses, which are worn only at night and allow normal vision during the day, have been studied by researchers from the University of New South Wales with respect to their impact on myopia in children. As a result, the researchers are now quite confident that OK lenses can slow down or even halt the development of shortsightedness.
This discovery means that orthokeratology could reduce the growing problem of myopia around the world (caused by genetic factors, changes in diet and the increasing amount of time people spent doing close work (e.g. reading, using computers)).
Helen Swarbrick, who is the head of the Research in Orthokeratology Group, stated that the research had shown OK to be effective – at least in the short term – in halting the growth of the eye that is the cause of myopia progression.
Eye care practitioners have been using OK lenses for a long time, mostly to correct shortsightedness (low to moderate). According to Swarbrick, the effects of wearing OK lenses for even a single night can be dramatic.
Subscribe