Can I not wear orthokeratology lenses during the summer vacation?

As an important means to slow down the growth rate of myopia, orthokeratology lenses have been recognized and chosen by more and more children and parents. Orthokeratology lenses are worn at night when sleeping, and use the hydraulic effect of the tear film to change the shape of the corneal curvature to improve naked eye vision.

Based on this principle, you can take off your lenses after getting up in the morning and see clearly without wearing any glasses during the day. For active and nearsighted children, wearing orthokeratology lenses can kill two birds with one stone.

It is summer vacation now, and some parents asked, since children don’t have to look at the blackboard during the vacation, do they need to stop wearing orthokeratology lenses?

Before answering this question, let us first clarify why we need to wear orthokeratology lenses?

1. Correction principle of orthokeratology lenses

The reason why orthokeratology lenses are different from the contact lenses we often hear about for daytime wear is that they need to flatten the central shape of the cornea at night with the help of the physical pressure of the eyelids and the hydraulic effect of tears, so as to achieve the requirements of clear naked eye vision during the day.

However, due to the restorability of the cornea, once you stop wearing lenses, the original refractive error will gradually recover. This means that during the day, you will need to use other correction methods, such as frame glasses, to see clearly.

Studies have found that wearing orthokeratology lenses can help slow down the progression of myopia, and the more frequently they are worn, the better the myopia control effect. During the summer vacation, although children do not have to face heavy schoolwork pressure, they use mobile phones, iPads and other video terminals more frequently. It can be said that the burden of close-range eye use on children during the holidays has not been reduced because of the holidays, but may have become more serious.

Therefore, from the perspective of myopia prevention and control, it is not recommended to stop wearing orthokeratology lenses at will.

2. In what cases can you consider stopping wearing it?

Although it is not recommended to stop wearing orthokeratology lenses on your own, if you encounter the following situations, it is recommended that you consider stopping wearing the lenses after consulting a doctor.

1) If you have eye inflammation or low immunity, such as keratoconjunctivitis, cold, fever, severe rhinitis, etc., consider stopping wearing the lenses;

2) If the lens is severely scratched, worn, or has protein deposits, or has expired, stop wearing it immediately and clean or replace the lens as soon as possible according to the doctor's instructions;

3) In situations or environments where care is inconvenient or cleaning cannot be guaranteed, it is better to stop wearing glasses for the sake of safety.

Experts advise

Zhou Chao, a member of the Medical Technician Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, a national first-level (senior) optometrist, and director of the optometry department of the Aier Eye Hospital affiliated to Wuhan University (Aier Eye Hospital Group Hubei General Hospital), reminds us: Orthokeratology lenses can help us correct myopia very well, but we also need to take good care of them. Clean the lenses carefully every day, insist on wearing them, and go to the hospital for regular follow-up visits to improve adaptability, so as to maximize the role of lenses in controlling myopia, slow down the progression of myopia, and avoid the development of high myopia.