Friday, 10 June 2016 08:56

New Option for Better Sports Vision

By Susan E. Halstead, ABOC, FNAO | Families Today
To excel in sports, you want and usually need the best vision possible. In addition to eliminating nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, the type of vision correction you use as an athlete also should be extra safe so you don’t run the risk of eye injuries during rough sports. You might want to consider wearing corrective contact lenses only at night, in a method known as orthokeratology (ortho-k) or corneal refractive therapy. With these eye-shaping lenses, you don’t need to wear contact lenses or eyeglasses at all while you are awake. With orthokeratology, you can have stable vision correction with unrestricted peripheral vision crucial for sports such as basketball and baseball. Depending on the kind of vision error you have, you also are likely to achieve crystal-clear central vision with this option. Ortho-k: The Best-Kept Secret of Sports Vision? Because contact lenses or LASIK eye surgery are popular options for athletes, it’s possible that you’ve never even heard of orthokeratology. In its early stages of development, ortho-k was not as popular an option because outcomes weren’t as predictable. But today’s orthokeratology methods are far more sophisticated and result in a safe, reversible, non-surgical way of correcting nearsightedness and astigmatism. Studies are underway to test the effectiveness of ortho-k for farsightedness as well. Ortho-k is safe and entirely reversible, so it’s an ideal option for athletes who are too young for LASIK. This reshaping of the front of the eye corrects nearsightedness and astigmatism in a way that is similar to a LASIK procedure and other refractive surgery, except that effects are reversible. Ortho-k contact lenses typically are worn at night during sleep and removed the next morning. Depending on the degree of your nearsightedness or astigmatism and other factors, you may notice a significant improvement in your uncorrected visual acuity even after the very first night of wearing the lenses. For some people, it can take a few weeks of wearing the ortho-k lenses at night to reach and maintain stable 20/20 vision during the day. Many times, only one pair of ortho-k lenses is needed. For more complex cases, additional pairs with adjusted parameters may be needed. Once your uncorrected vision reaches the desired level of clarity and stability, you still will need to wear the ortho-k lenses overnight to keep your corneas in the proper shape for good daytime vision. But you may not need to wear ortho-k lenses every night. Every other night sometimes is sufficient. And some ortho-k patients need to wear the lenses only one or two nights a week to maintain excellent visual acuity during the day. Ortho-k and Myopia Control In addition to its other benefits, ortho-k can potentially reduce the progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in children and teenagers. So if you try ortho-k in your teens and then decide to discontinue wearing the reshaping lenses later in life, you may be less nearsighted as an adult than you would be if you had worn eyeglasses or conventional soft contact lenses during your teen years. Factors That Might Eliminate You as an Ortho-k Candidate Ortho-k is not for everyone. An evaluation of your corneas and your eyeglasses prescription or contact lens prescription is required to determine if you are eligible for the procedure. Ortho-k is not for everyone. An evaluation of your prescription and corneas is required to learn if you are eligible. Currently, ortho-k is approved for the correction of mild to moderate amounts of nearsightedness and mild astigmatism. It is most effective for correcting up to -4.00 diopters (D) of myopia and up to -1.50 D of astigmatism. So if you have higher degrees of myopia and/or astigmatism, you might be eliminated as a candidate. Why Ortho-k Might Be Ideal for Certain Athletes Many athletes who have undergone the ortho-k process report positive feedback such as: Greater confidence in their vision. Less worry about eye problems and fluctuating vision. No concerns about glasses or contact lenses getting knocked off or out during competition. No need to bring spare contacts and contact lens solutions to practice and game days. No worry about potential complications of refractive surgery, which could adversely affect athletic performance for a lifetime. While ortho-k can benefit most athletes, sports for which the ability to see without glasses or contact lenses is especially important include archery, boxing, baseball, basketball, climbing, cycling, diving, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, hunting, martial arts, motorcycle racing, rugby, shooting sports, softball, skiing, snowboarding, soccer, surfing, swimming, tennis and wrestling. Susan Halstead is a NYS and Nationally Licensed Optician and can be reached for comments or questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 584-6111.
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