Why Sticking With Contacts Is The Better Option Over LASIK

What a marvel the thought is to have your nearsighted corrected while you sleep with no need for surgery or wearing eyewear during the day. Well it is a reality folks and it is here in America as well many other countries. While you are in bed at night you wear these specially designed contact lenses that reshape the surface of your eye so gently that you can't even feel it. When the lens is taken out in the morning you can see as clearly as if you never needed a prescription. You will be able to go all day contact, glasses and surgery free. The effects are only temporary and last a bit longer than 24 hours but wearing the contact each not will keep the eye in the right configuration so the next day you will be able to see just as good. The lenses must be worn each night to ensure that the effects stay with you all day.

This non-surgical procedure is called corneal reshaping and reshapes the cornea using the contact lens instead of other more invasive medical techniques. This has been around for some time and has worked for many people have suffered with vision problems. The technique is called orthokeratology or ortho-k and many doctors have been using it for a great many years. The FDA finally approved its use here in the States in the late spring of 2002. They gave approval to a specific corneal shaping lens called Corneal Refractive Therapy or CRT. Shortly after many more approved over-night lenses were released for use. With the new approval the lenses could be made better with better effects that lasted longer. Bausch & Lomb came out with a great brand of ortho-k lenses called Vision Shaping Treatment or VST. Each eye doctor who offers these products has been certified to do so to ensure the correct fit to each patient. CRT is a world wide enterprise with more than 2000 eye practitioners able to fill the prescription and certified.

Ortho-k can be worn by a person of any age who has nearsightedness. You can use CRT as long as you are with in the 6-diopter myopia region of the vision index, which would be a maximum prescription of -6.00 or less. This treatment works with an astigmatism that is -1.75 with CRT or -1.50 with VST. It tends to have the best and most lasting effects with those persons with the lowest myopia, which is deemed 4 diopters or less. If you have healthy eyes with no other medical issues other than vision then you can use this product no matter what age you are. Because it not a drug or surgical procedure there is no nasty side effects to have to deal with and no period of time to recover and be able to see clear again. It has all the benefits as surgery with out the down time or medical risks.

Many athletes and sport enthusiasts love this treatment. They are able to do their sport of choice with out the fear of losing a contact lens or their glasses but they can still see. Many people who work in dirty, dusty places or with hazardous chemicals like this as well. Most jobs like this do not permit the use of contact lenses for the health and safety reasons specified at each place of employment. Usually the hazards are capable of irritating the eyes or getting in them. Wearing contacts would keep the debris or chemical in even with washing so most employees are required to wear eyeglasses and another pair of safety glasses on top. The ortho-k offers these people the benefit of not needing to wear two pairs of glasses and risking their eyes with contacts.

The benefits are so similar to LASIK that one would not know the difference. This is a great choice for teens who hate wearing glasses and aren't as careful with their lenses. This way at night they wear the CRT and during the day they are eyewear free. Young people fewer than eighteen are not eligible for LASIK so this is a great alternative. Parent must remind children proper use and hygiene when using contacts and this product. If this or any lens is not cleaned properly than an eye infection can result. The greatest effect is that you can decide to stop using the contacts and your eyes will go back to normal and if you wanted surgery you could still get it. But why bother if you have this option.