Parents should not ask doctors to give their children orthokeratology lenses until they are at least 10 years old, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital ophthalmologist Chen Ying-shan (陳瑩山) said.
Orthokeratology lenses, also known as Ortho-K lenses, are gas-permeable contact lenses that temporarily reshape the cornea, but they can also halt the development of myopia in adolescents and children, he said.
The technology was introduced to Taiwan about 20 years ago and was widely used to halt the development of myopia, due to a prevalence of the condition, he added.
Uniquely in Taiwan, doctors use the lenses more often to treat children and adolescents than for adults, and over the past decade they have gathered a lot of medial data on the benefits of Ortho-K, Chen said.
However, doctors have also discovered several problems associated with Ortho-K, stemming from the forgetfulness of children, who often forget to take out the lenses after they wake in the morning, he said.
Wearing the lenses for extended periods of time, as well as failure to follow proper hygiene to keep the lenses clean, frequently result in eye infections, Chen said, adding that he once treated a child who used tap water to wash the lenses instead of lens solution.
Children aged 10 or older are more disciplined and therefore better candidates for Ortho-K, but parents should accompany their child when seeing a doctor to learn proper use of the lenses, he said.
Typically the lenses are worn for six to eight hours at a time and can prevent myopia from worsening, sometimes permanently curing the condition, he added.
Ortho-K lenses are fitted to the curvature of an individual’s eye, which is a procedure that should be performed at a doctor’s clinic, Chen said, adding that the left and right lenses are not interchangeable.
Due to the tight seal, Ortho-K lenses are removed using a suction stick, not manually as is the case with normal contact lenses, he said.
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