How Effective Is Ortho-K in Slowing Myopia Progression?

Watching your child’s nearsightedness worsen year after year can be frustrating and concerning. While glasses and traditional contact lenses improve vision, they do not slow myopia progression. Ortho-K offers a proactive approach by addressing how the eye grows, helping to slow myopia progression while allowing children to see clearly during the day without corrective lenses.

What Is Ortho-K?

Ortho-K involves specially designed rigid gas permeable contact lenses that are worn overnight. While you sleep, these lenses gently reshape the front surface of the eye (the cornea). When the lenses are removed in the morning, patients experience clear vision throughout the day without the need for glasses or daytime contact lenses. Beyond correcting vision, Ortho-K plays a critical role in myopia management by addressing how the eye grows over time.

How Does Ortho-K Slow Myopia Progression?

Myopia typically worsens because the eye continues to grow longer from front to back. Ortho-K lenses are designed not only to correct central vision but also to change how light focuses on the peripheral retina. This peripheral defocus sends a signal that helps slow excessive eye growth, which is the underlying cause of worsening myopia.

By guiding eye growth in a healthier way, Ortho-K helps reduce the rate at which myopia progresses - especially during childhood and adolescence, when the eyes are still developing.

How Effective Is Ortho-K?

Clinical research and long-term studies have shown that Ortho-K can slow myopia progression by approximately 40-60% in many children compared to traditional glasses or standard soft contact lenses. While results vary from patient to patient, most children who start Ortho-K early experience significantly slower prescription changes over time.

The effectiveness of Ortho-K depends on several factors, including:

• Age at the start of treatment

• Degree of myopia

• Consistency of lens wear

• Proper fitting and regular follow-up care

When properly managed by an experienced optometrist, Ortho-K is considered one of the most reliable non-surgical myopia control options available.

Why Early Myopia Control Matters

Slowing myopia progression is about more than just reducing a prescription. Higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased risk of eye conditions such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic macular degeneration later in life. Early intervention with myopia management strategies like Ortho-K can help protect long-term vision and eye health.

Take the Next Step in Protecting Your Child’s Vision

Ortho-K is a highly effective, non-surgical option for slowing myopia progression in children and teens. By addressing the root cause of myopia progression, Ortho-K not only provides clear daytime vision but also supports healthier visual development over time. For families in Rowland Heights looking for a proactive approach to managing myopia, Ortho-K offers both immediate and long-term benefits.

Contact InnoVision Optometry to schedule a comprehensive eye exam and learn whether Ortho-K is the right myopia management solution for your child. Visit our office in Rowland Heights, California, or call (626) 593-8700 to book an appointment today.