Vision is one of the most important processes of processing information received by a person from the outside. Its sharpness determines the quality of perception, analysis and conclusions about visible objects and the situation around a person as a whole.
Unfortunately, not all people can boast of perfect vision: many people suffer from eye diseases such as farsightedness or nearsightedness. To eliminate these shortcomings, many correction methods have been invented: glasses, daily lenses, eye surgery. However, not all of these methods may be comfortable for the patient. That is why in recent years, the use of such a tool as night lenses to restore vision has become a fairly common way.
Night lenses - what is it?
In their appearance, they are similar to ordinary daytime ones - they are exactly the same transparent or slightly bluish rounded "plates". However, they have a more rigid base and are used exclusively during sleep. Night lensescorrections are breathable, so the occurrence of dryness and burning in the eyes is almost completely excluded. In addition, the patient uses them due to the peculiarities of the conditions of use with closed eyelids and for a shorter amount of time than daily lenses. And the latter, as you know, even with the highest quality characteristics and all the inherent softness, often cause pain and discomfort.
The official name for a vision correction method that uses night lenses is orthokeratology, which is why they are also called orthokeratology, or OK lenses for short.
Operation principle
During sleep, night lenses actively influence the cornea of the eye by pressure, thereby shaping it and redistributing the load. The upper layers of the epithelium are leveled, but the patient does not feel anything. At first, some dryness in the eyes is possible, but it is eliminated by instillation of drops that soften the lens and allow it to be distributed over the surface as much as possible. Remove OK lenses after sleep. The result of the application is an increased quality of vision, as close as possible to unity. It lasts for at least 24 hours.
Validity period
Each period of validity of OK lenses is purely individual and depends on the severity of myopia, as well as other side effects that may affect the result. However, 1-3 days is a stable period of time during whichcorrective night lenses can provide one-to-one vision.
To keep the diopter at the right level, OK lenses do not need to be worn every night. The whole cycle consists of 1 day - sleep with lenses, and the next few days - sleep without lenses until the onset of vision deterioration. The required period of application is determined by the doctor.
Features
You can see that the principle of operation of this tool is similar to laser correction - the cornea is flattened in the same way as during surgery. However, night lenses to improve vision have one feature - the effect of their exposure is reversible. That is, after a certain time, the cornea returns to its original position and myopia returns again.
By the way, this is why night lenses for children are considered the best way to correct vision, since the eye is still in the formative stage, and laser surgery is only possible from the age of 18. In addition, it will be more convenient for parents to control the wearing process, built in this way.
Use cases
Although night lenses are the best way to correct myopia (myopia), it is worth remembering when choosing them that with a high degree of the disease they may be powerless. The standard correction range is -1 to -7 diopters.
According to multiple studies, the greatest effectiveness can be achieved using night lenses with myopia no more than -5 diopters. In this case, the restoration of vision to one is guaranteed. Ifthe patient has a vision lower than -5 diopters, then the functioning of the eye can be rehabilitated up to 70-75%.
It is worth noting that the effect is noticeable after the first application of night lenses. Reviews of patients and attending physicians also confirm other information: after regular use for 1 week, the observed vision returns to almost 100%.
In some cases, there is a slight decrease in acuity by the end of the day, but this is due to excessive eye strain that occurs due to long computer work, insufficient lighting, writing or reading.
Benefits of night lenses
Lenses for night vision correction have many positive aspects:
- the process is carried out directly during sleep, so the eyes not only do not get tired from wearing lenses, but, on the contrary, they rest;
- no need to think about whether they suit you or not - night lenses for restoring vision are absolutely invisible, especially with lowered eyelids;
- they cannot be broken or broken like glasses;
- night contact lenses do not require surgery;
- ideal for those who lead an active lifestyle, go in for sports;
- night lenses are equally good for children and adults: with the progression of myopia, there is every chance to stop it at an early stage, and if it already exists, block its development;
- all night lenses have a long wearing period - at least one and a half years, which insaves a lot of money and eliminates the need to regularly go in search of suitable soft day;
- even if the night lenses to restore vision were not to your liking, they can always be replaced with another familiar correction method;
- will be a great alternative for those who are contraindicated in laser surgery;
- do not cause allergic reactions, and in some cases prevent diseases such as conjunctivitis and keratitis;
- night lenses to improve vision, due to the wearing characteristics, eliminate dust, particles of cosmetics and dirt from settling on their surface;
- when in a room with dry air or air conditioning, you will not have to use moisturizing drops.
Who should wear OK lenses?
As already mentioned, night lenses for children are perfect. Reviews of adults who have already followed the recommendations of ophthalmologists indicate that the child's complaints of dryness and discomfort in the eyes associated with wearing daily lenses have disappeared. No need to carry a spare pair and moisturizer. In addition, as you know, children do not like to wear glasses, so the use of night lenses saved them from ridicule from classmates and made it possible to feel more comfortable in physical education classes.
Night lenses are also suitable for almost all adults whose profession or working conditions do not have to wear ordinary daytime lenses or glasses: athletes, climbers, coaches, builders, rescuers, workers.
How to choose night lenses?
The process of selecting night lenses is quite complicated, so only an ophthalmologist-specialist should deal with it. During the consultation, the doctor will without fail not only determine the level of myopia, but also measure the degree of curvature of the cornea, its composition, and also identify the presence of contraindications that prevent the use of OK lenses.
When all the necessary parameters are clarified, the orthokeratologist will begin to select night lenses to restore vision. After the first application, vision will noticeably improve, but not by 100%. To achieve the maximum effect, it will take about 7-10 days, or 2 to 5 applications. After a certain period, you should again go to an appointment with an ophthalmologist to undergo a preventive examination, which will allow you to identify a trend in improving vision, as well as prescribe the necessary auxiliary medications and procedures.
Side effects on first use
Disorders and some complications can occur both during the initial use of night lenses, and much later. At first, side effects are manifested in the form of an inadequate reaction of the pupil to light sources, the presence of blurry contours in objects and their easy bifurcation, dizziness and some loss of orientation in space. Most often, such disorders disappear after 1-2 days after the first use of OK lenses. If discomfort and visual distortion become regular or worsen, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist.
Possible Complications
More complex side effects are observed in patients who have received an eye injury after the appointment of OK therapy, or who did not follow the simplest rules of hygiene. These include:
- erosion;
- swelling;
- inflammation.
Some patients mistakenly believe that night lenses are to blame. Doctors' comments about this method of correcting myopia indicate the opposite: in most cases, the cause of the onset and exacerbation of any eye disease during OK therapy is an untimely visit to the ophthalmologist and non-compliance with the standard rules for wearing night lenses and visual hygiene.
Contraindications for wearing
Like regular daytime, nighttime OK lenses have some contraindications to wear. Namely, the presence of diseases of the following nature:
- chronic diseases of the anterior segment of the eye;
- recurrent inflammation of the eye;
- chronic inflammatory processes on the face.
In addition, an orthokeratologist is unlikely to prescribe night lenses for children or adults if the patient cannot follow the rules for wearing and processing lenses, as well as attend preventive examinations.
Night lens reviews
Respondents who regularly use night lenses for 2-6 months, first of all, unanimously report a higher comfort of use than with day lenses. This is due to the fact that during the day there is no feeling of dryness in the eyes, there is no needadditionally moisturize the cornea with special means, there is no fear of damaging or losing the lens, since it simply is not there.
Patients who previously wore glasses report feeling more relaxed and free. The same is said by parents who have purchased night lenses for children: reviews testify in favor of not only physical, but also psychological comfort.
Despite all the positive aspects, about 70% of respondents claim that it took them about 5-7 days to finally get used to the new method of vision correction. At first, there was some blurring of objects and a halo around light sources, but after 2-3 subsequent applications of the lenses, the discomfort disappeared.
The only negative, according to users, is the rather high cost for a one-time payment. The average cost of the lenses themselves, examination by a specialist and consumables in Russia costs an average of 16,000-18,000 rubles. However, if this amount is compared with the cost of buying soft contact lenses, solution and drops, then in general, night lenses pay off already in 1.5 years.
Doctors, for their part, recommend night lenses as the most appropriate way to correct and prevent myopia in school-age children at the moment. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that until the age of 11-12, the child's parents will need to regularly monitor the regularity of use and compliance with the rules of hygiene of OK lenses.
Today, night lenses are perhaps the only vision correction method that canreplace laser surgery. Although the effect is short-term, the use of orthokeratology is so far the only way to improve visual acuity for a while without the use of additional optical aids.
