Night Lenses (ortho-k)

Night lenses work for Myopia (short sight) between -1.00 and -5.00.

As long as your prescription is within the guide lines your vision should be corrected.

Your eyes will maintain it’s shape/vision for mostly48 hours, but they need to be used nightly for best effect and optimal vision

They were actually invented around 20 years ago, but they are only really starting to take off now.

We use specialised equipment to measure and make your custom fit night lenses. The shape of the front of the eye is measured using a machine called a corneal topographer and then computer processes build a simulated 3D model of your eye. This model is used to calculate the best fit night/ortho-k lens.

You’ve just read that ortho-k lenses are either custom-made for an individual eye. This close alignment removes most of the discomfort that could otherwise occur, however, for anyone new to ortho-k, there is still the initial sensation of having something in your eye like a piece of dust. This is simply due to the top eyelid feeling and highlighting the presence of the lens on the eye.

Typically the eye will create tears to try and wash the ortho-k lens out because it thinks it’s like a piece of dust. Over a short period of time this usually settles down to the point where the lenses can be as comfortable as to not be felt in the eye at all. 

Another analogy,  is to think of the ortho-k lens as being like a new pair of shoes that are at first uncomfortable but soon become comfortable after a few days of wear.   

All contact lenses can increase risk of infection as a result of the lens being placed on your eye. Ortho-k lenses introduce an extra risk from being worn during sleep when the eyes are closed, although they are safer to sleep in than soft contact lenses. Blinking is a natural cleaning and defense mechanism for eyes, and the eye not blinking during sleep reduces the effectiveness of this defense mechanism.

The good news is that risk from infection can be greatly reduced if proper cleaning steps are followed, and also to avoid the lenses and their cases coming into contact with tap water. This last point is so important that it’s worth repeating - tap water should never be allowed to come in contact with contact lenses, including ortho-k, and any devices used with contact lenses, such as cases or lens application holders.

In many ways ortho-k lenses can be considered one of the easiest types of contact lenses to wear. Being made from a rigid material can make them easier to pick up and handle compared to floppier soft contact lenses. 

Ortho-k lenses are also smaller than most soft contact lenses, which can make them easier to apply to the eye. Their smaller size can make them a little harder to remove than soft lenses, but there are easily learned lens removal techniques to simplify this process. 

Being worn overnight also offers advantages, because once applied the wearer closes their eyes and goes to sleep, which removes the problem of a lens falling out during the day