by Joel Harrison
25. August 2011 09:04
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) contact lenses, which are special gas-permeable lenses worn during the night, designed in a way that allows them to change the shape of the cornea, improving the vision of their users throughout the following day, have become very popular in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists has recently carried out a survey, which showed that approximately 90% of those who wear Ortho-K contact lenses are children.
Experts say that patients should wear Ortho-K lenses for at least six hours a night, which is enough to gain perfect vision for the next 24 hours without any contact lenses or eyeglasses.
The chairman of the orthokeratology committee of the Association, Daven Ngai Ming-che, stated that in spite of the fact that most children around the world begin to wear Ortho-K lenses at the age of eight, some children from Hong Kong start to use them when they are as young as five. It depends on the needs of each child, Ming-che added.
According to George Woo, a professor of optometry, Ortho-K contact lenses are a method especially suitable for slowing down the progression of myopia, which is a growing problem in Hong Kong and around the world.
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