With the popularization of electronic products such as mobile phones and computers, myopia is getting younger and younger, and any product that can prevent, alleviate, and treat myopia will be eager for parents. In the past two years, the most controversial is the orthokeratology lens, which is commonly known as the OK lens. Can the OK lens really cure myopia? Today, AnAn.com invited experts from Sun Yat-Sen University Zhongshan Ophthalmology Center to chat with us about OK mirrors.
Hu Yin
Doctor of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Eye Center, good at prevention and control of myopia in children and adolescents
4 points let you know the OK lens
OK (Orthokeratology) lens, also known as orthokeratology lens, is a specially designed night-wearing hard contact lens. To understand “what an OK lens is”, we need to start with four key words:
Contact lenses. The essence of OK lenses is contact lenses, which are commonly referred to as “wearing into the eyes” glasses.
Night wear. Different from the well-known usage of contact lenses, OK lenses are worn at night and removed during the day. Under the premise of ensuring adequate night wear, the wearer can obtain good vision without any contact or frame glasses during the day.
Hard. OK mirrors are machined from hard materials. Compared with soft contact lenses, this hard material has higher oxygen permeability to ensure sufficient oxygen supply and health to the ocular surface when the lenses are worn at night.
Special design. The OK lens is an “inverse geometry” designed lens. Different from the relatively regular surface of ordinary contact lenses, the OK lens has multiple areas on the surface, which are used to achieve various functions such as lens myopia correction, myopia control, center positioning and ocular surface health.
Can the OK mirror really cure myopia?
The main function of the OK mirror is twofold:
1 ) controls myopia progression. This is what most kids wear OK glasses for. Compared with ordinary frames or contact lenses, OK lenses can better delay the progression of myopia, and the effectiveness is about 50% in children and adolescents on average (for example, wearing ordinary frame lenses can deepen myopia by 100 degrees in one year, wearing OK lenses can deepen myopia. slow down to 50 degrees a year). Of course, like other myopia control methods, there are individual differences in the myopia control effect of the OK lens, which is related to the child’s eye habits and genetics.
2) Myopia correction. OK lens can realize the removal of lens during the day for myopic patients. This is because OK lenses flatten the central cornea during wearing, eliminating myopia. It should be noted that the correction of myopia with OK lenses is a reversible process. If you stop wearing OK lenses for a period of time, the original degree of myopia will “return”.
Is OK mirror really safe?
As with most medical interventions, wearing OK lenses entails certain risks. Among all the adverse reactions of OK lens, the most serious one is corneal infection. The probability of this complication is very low (a few ten thousandths), and standardized lens care and good eye hygiene can greatly reduce the risk of corneal infection. Other relatively common OK lens-related adverse reactions include hypersensitivity, corneal epithelial damage, and dry eye, which can be properly resolved with appropriate topical treatment and adjustment of lenses and care systems.
Can every short-sighted child wear it?
OK mirror wearers must be at least 8 years old. In addition, the suitability of wearing glasses also depends on the degree of myopia, corneal characteristics, and other eye and general health conditions.
The degree of myopia. Most of the OK lens registration certificates have myopia correction within 600 degrees. For children whose myopia exceeds the correction range of lenses, wearing OK lenses can still control the progression of myopia, but it is likely that the uncorrected vision during the day will not be optimal, and glasses need to be supplemented.
corneal features. The curvature, regularity and astigmatism of the cornea will limit the application of OK lenses. Before prescribing, the doctor will determine whether the child is suitable for wearing glasses through a comprehensive evaluation and lens fitting.
Other eye and general conditions. Some eye diseases and systemic conditions (such as infectious keratitis and other active inflammation, diabetes and other systemic diseases that can cause low immunity) are contraindications to wearing OK lenses, and some diseases (such as severe dry eye, corneal epithelial damage) etc.) OK lenses can be worn after treatment improves. Therefore, if there are other eye or systemic conditions besides myopia, tell the doctor truthfully and the doctor will determine whether it is suitable to wear OK lenses.
Precautions for wearing OK glasses
Adhere to good eye habits, including reasonable close eye use (such as reading, using tablet computers, etc.) and plenty of outdoor activities.
Removing and wearing glasses strictly and standardly follow “washing hands (seven-step hand-washing method, trimming nails) → removing glasses → rubbing and rinsing (care solution) → preservation (care solution) → rubbing and rinsing (care solution)” → Wearing glasses” process; drop the eye lotion before taking off the glasses, and then take off the glasses after the lenses move.
The lens is deproteinized once a week, and if necessary, deproteinized every day (as directed by your doctor).
If there is redness, eye pain, increased eye discharge, etc., stop wearing OK glasses and seek medical attention in time.
If you have a cold, fever, or other systemic immunity, stop wearing your lenses.
Nursing solution, mirror case, suction stick and other products are regularly replaced.
OK lenses are routinely replaced every 1-2 years. If the lens is chipped, chipped, or severely scratched, it needs to be replaced in time.