How to Improve Your Eyesight While You Sleep?

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a common condition in which you can see objects that are close to you clearly but cannot focus as well on objects that are far away. Roughly half the adult population of the US suffers from myopia, and this number is only expected to increase due to factors such as more people living longer, more time spent on near work (such as looking at screens), and less time spent outdoors.

Being nearsighted poses many challenges. Children and students can experience difficulty in school, while older people who are nearsighted are more likely to develop conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and retinal detachments that can lead to severe problems, including blindness. Early treatment of myopia is key to slowing its progression and delaying or preventing serious consequences.

Symptoms of myopia include difficulty focusing on distant objects clearly (such as road signs) while close-up objects are clear and easy to see. A nearsighted person may also notice that they are squinting to see more clearly; they may experience eye strain and headaches or feel fatigued when playing sports or driving.

What Is Orthokeratology?

Orthokeratology, also known as ortho-k, is a modern treatment that involves wearing special contact lenses designed to alter the shape of the cornea to correct vision. In most cases, you will wear ortho-k lenses at night while you sleep to reshape the front surface of your eye. The improvements you experience to your vision are reversible, but you can maintain your results by continuing to wear the lenses as directed. Ortho-k has been shown to not only give patients clear vision during the day but also slow the progression of myopia.

WCLI’s Myopia Management Clinic

At Weston Contact Lens Institute, one of our services is our Myopia Management Clinic, where we offer orthokeratology treatments as well as other methods to slow the progression of myopia in our patients. Good candidates for our Myopia Management Clinic include people who:

• Developed nearsightedness as children
• Have a family history of nearsightedness
• Are severely nearsighted
• Have progressive nearsightedness that worsens each year

Our eye doctors in Weston, FL can help determine whether you fall into one of these categories.

What We Do

Our Myopia Management Clinic offers a range of treatments, including:

• Orthokeratology lenses. Our ortho-k lenses are custom designed for each patient. We map the front surface of your eye using specialized equipment and use the information we gather to create a lens just for you. Then, you’ll wear the lenses at night while you sleep and remove them in the morning to enjoy clear vision all day long without corrective eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Distance center multifocal soft lenses. These special lenses are worn exactly like conventional soft contact lenses. However, they have different “zones” that trick the eye and help keep myopia from progressing further.
• Atropine treatments. Atropine is an eye drop medication. In high doses, atropine causes the pupil to dilate and relaxes the focus center of the eye. In this treatment, a low concentration of atropine is used to prevent myopia from getting worse.

These treatments have all been shown to help delay the progression of myopia.

The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

Especially if you are experiencing vision-related problems – but even if you aren’t – it’s essential to have regular eye examinations to identify and treat potential problems early on. Comprehensive eye exams can help identify the tools necessary to help students perform their best in school; they also evaluate for serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, which may not cause symptoms until it is very advanced. Managing these conditions early – including myopia – is the best way to protect your vision as well as your overall health. If you are experiencing vision-related problems or it’s been over a year since your last eye exam, contact our office today to schedule an appointment.