Scleral Contact Lens
Scleral contact lenses have become the lens of choice for treating keratoconus, dry eyes, corneal transplants, and other corneal conditions not correctable with glasses or standard contact lenses. However, scleral lenses can also provide great comfort and vision in the treatment of a variety of eye conditions as well as simple vision problems normally treated by glasses and standard (soft) contact lenses.
High Prescription: Let’s be blunt…are your glasses coke bottles? Has your doctor told you that your vision is bad to wear contacts? Prescription over -12.00? Scleral contact lenses can correct almost any prescription.
Hate your Rigid (HARD) Gas Permeable Contacts? Rigid contact lenses can be a serious pain in the eye as they rest on the cornea which is full of pain receptors. Scleral contact lenses rest on the scleral which has fewer pain receptors making them much more comfortable than rigid lenses.
Dry Eye: Chronic dry eye can be a big problem for many patients and the endless use of lubrication drops or expensive medicated drops can be frustrating. Scleral contact lenses cover the cornea completely, prevent tear evaporation, and keep a thin layer of preservative free saline under the lens to bathe the cornea and reduce dry eye problems.
Halos around lights and night vision problems: Glasses and standard contact lens can still leave you with poor night vision, glare, and light scatter. Scleral lenses can reduce these problems while giving you great contact lens comfort.
Sports Vision and Athletics: Contact lenses popping out of your eyes and blurry vision while playing your favorite sport? Scleral contact lenses offer a very stable, snug fit on the eye and superior vision for all of your activities.
Post LASIK blurry vision: Have you had LASIK or other refractive surgeries only to have the return of blurry vision that cannot be corrected by glasses or standard contacts? Scleral contact lenses can cover up the distorted post LASIK cornea and give you the clear vision that you want.
*For more information and learn more about scleral lenses click here: https://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/scleral-lenses.htm
Orthokeratology and Myopia Control Contact Lens
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) is the temporary reshaping of the cornea. Custom-made lenses are worn overnight to provide clear vision throughout the day. Ortho-k is used to correct and slow down myopia (nearsightedness) in children, and to correct presbyopia (age-related farsightedness) in adults.
At Optical Solutions, your child can receive advanced myopia care to avoid higher prescriptions and an increased risk of eye disease. As an optometrist trained and experienced in fitting ortho-k lenses, Dr. Michael R Campbell, O.D. will carry out an eye exam and evaluate whether ortho-k is the best treatment for your child using the most advanced technology called the Oculus and the WAVE software.
The Mechanics of Ortho-K
This might remind you of biology class back in high school, but we’ve laid out the basic science behind Ortho-K below. Most people believe that ortho-k lenses function as a mold to press the cornea into a new shape. Actually, the lens doesn’t even touch the cornea; it floats on a very thin tear film, utilizing gentle hydraulic forces to reshape the cornea.
Regular contact lenses have a perfectly round dome shape. An ortho-k lens uses a reverse geometrical design in which the central area of the lens is flattened. The hydraulic forces applied to the tear film induce pressure to the center of the top tissue layer of the cornea, called the epithelium.
Because the epithelium’s cells are interconnected, the fluid they are filled with can move around between cells. When pressure is applied to the central cells, the fluid moves to the peripheral cells. As a result, the center part of the epithelium becomes thinner, and the periphery thickens.
It is important to remember that cells in the epithelium are not squished, altered, or damaged. The central cells simply undergo dehydration. After the ortho-k lens is removed, the cells gradually return to their original shape as they become hydrated again. By flattening the cornea in this way, any nearsightedness will be corrected, resulting in perfect daytime vision. Plus, we preserve the natural state of the cornea to slow the progression of myopia.
How Ortho-K Slows Down Myopia
Traditional myopia correction methods only correct central vision, enabling people to see clearly at close distances. Side vision (peripheral vision), on the other hand, remains out of focus, creating what’s called peripheral hyperopia. It is generally believed that one reason for the progression of myopia is the eye’s attempt to compensate for peripheral hyperopia. By reshaping the entire cornea, blurry side vision is eliminated and the cause for elongation of the eyeball is removed.
Research studies appear to support this. The most extensive ongoing study, known as the SMART Study, found that, over a three-year-period, myopia has progressed significantly less in children who wear ortho-k lenses compared to children who wear corrective eyeglasses. Previous, smaller-scale studies, such as the Kern’s Study and the Berkley’s Orthokeratology Study, produced similar results.
Top Technology for Specialty Lenses
The OCULUS Keratograph® 5M
WAVE SOFTWARE
Zenlens Scleral Lens
MiSight soft contact lens by Coopervision
Kids lead active, jam-packed lives. But whether they’re playing pretend, riding bikes with their friends, or learning new things at school, myopia (nearsightedness) can make it harder for them to engage in the activities they love. And as they grow, their prescription may get stronger too.
Fortunately, your age-appropriate children may benefit from an innovative technology to help slow down the progression of their myopia1*: MiSight® 1 day contact lenses from CooperVision. MiSight 1 day contact lenses with ActivControl® Technology not only correct nearsightedness – they’re also the first soft contact lenses proven to slow the progression of myopia in children aged 8-12 at initiation of treatment.*1 When wearing MiSight 1 day contact lenses, your age-appropriate child can experience clear vision, freedom from glasses and continue to enjoy the activities they love.
Contact us at (843) 681-6682 (Hospital Center Commons), (843) 785-8008 (Shelter Cove) or (843) 706-0607 (Bluffton) to schedule a contact lens exam today.