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See the Golf Ball Better with Ortho-k Hard Contact Lenses - My Ortho-K Review - By Alex Morton

Alex MortonAs a tournament golf professional, good sharp vision at all times is vital for me to perform to the best of my abilities.

From around 15 years of age I began wearing daily contact lenses to correct shortsighted vision. But wearing lenses out on the golf course can often be problematic.  Strong wind blowing bits of dust into the eyes or sand from bunker shots getting under the lens can be very painful. I also suffer with hay fever, as do thousands of other golfers and during the summer months my eyes could become quite itchy, red and sore with the result that my daily lenses could feel very uncomfortable on my eyes. As most of my time is spent outdoors, whether it be practicing or playing golf, even with putting drops in the eyes to try alleviate the condition, wearing daily contact lenses was not the complete answer. 

In an effort to find the best solution to improve my vision at all times I have even contemplated laser eye surgery. But having done extensive research I feel there are a number of drawbacks, firstly it is a very costly procedure, secondly it isn't 100% guaranteed to work and thirdly, vision in low light can be impaired after surgery. Some people have even finished up with worse vision than before the laser operation (very few I know), but it is always a worry in the back of your mind.

Fitting Ortho-K hard lensesBut after consulting with Geoff Wilson, Chief Optometrist and owner of The Contact Lens Practice in Birmingham, he suggested I use an Ortho-K lens called Dreamlens. They are rigid lenses that are worn at night and do their work by re-shaping the cornea whilst you sleep and are fitted by only a few specialist opticians. Once the lenses are removed the following morning you have perfect vision all day long without the need for daily lenses.

The freedom they offer after wearing daily lenses and glasses is wonderful. At the Contact Lens Practice your eyes are given an extremely thorough examination with all sorts of scans to make sure of a perfect fit from the new lenses. It is very comforting to be in the hands of such professional people.

After using the lenses now for the last 3 months not only is my vision superb and clear but also by wearing them at night, I no longer need to use a daily lens so the possibility of any eye irritation is eased enormously. I can strongly recommend that if you wear daily contact lenses or glasses and you are looking for perfect vision without them, then go and get fitted with Ortho-k lenses. They offer all the benefits of laser surgery without the costly outlay or surgical procedure. And just as important by wearing over night lenses it is possible to halt the decline in prescription that normally happens to people with shortsighted vision wearing conventional daily contact lenses. A two-year study in the USA proves that it actually stops short sight in children if they use Ortho-k lenses.

I have written a diary of my experience using the lenses for the first time and if you would like to learn more about Ortho-k lenses please follow the links to the Contact Lens Practice where you can learn more about them from the experts at: www.thecontactlenspractice.co.UK

Ortho-k Diary

 Day 1 - 11/12/2009 

The first time I inserted the lenses into my eyes it was somewhat unnerving. But I was reassured that as I had never worn hard contact lenses before it would take only a few days to become accustomed to wearing them.Sleeping with the lenses in on the first night was a little uncomfortable; I couldn't seem to get to sleep very quickly because of the unusual feeling of the harder lenses on my eyes. The following morning there was a slight improvement in my vision without any lens in, which was brilliant. I then wore some daily lenses that had been provided by the Contact Lens Practice in order to give a moderate quality of sight for the rest of the day. Obviously as the prescription of my eyes change I will not need to use a daily lenses, but for the moment at least, it means I can go about my day without any sight problems.

Day 2 - 12/12/2009

My sight had begun to deteriorate towards the end of the day and in fact I put the lenses back in at around 6:30pm, trying to give my eyes a longer time to try to adjust. My second night's sleep was a little better although still somewhat uncomfortable. I went back to the Contact Lens Practice for a follow up appointment that is mandatory following a first night wearing the lenses, for a thorough check.

 

Day 3 - 13/12/2009

Before being fitted for the Ortho-k lenses, my sight prescription was -4.00 & - 4.25 in my left and right eyes respectively. I was able to get through day three of the treatment by wearing a set of -0.75 daily lenses that had been provided for me. Which, in such a short space of time I thought was remarkable. Admittedly, my vision was by no means perfect, or perfectly clear. But there had been a vast improvement in my sight prescription.

 

Day 4 - 14/12/2009

On my first day back at work I encountered my first problem using the lenses. I have since been told that this problem is to be expected and perfectly normal and also doesn't last for too long. As the cornea changes shape, the complete flattening out doesn't occur for several weeks. So around the sides of the cornea where the shape is still rounded, it is difficult to see at night in poor light. Also when driving in the dark, oncoming headlights have a halo of light around them, varying in size, which makes it quite difficult to focus on the road in front. This is due to the refraction of light within the eye, as the flattened area of the cornea is relatively small at this early stage in the treatment.

 

Day 5 - 15/12/2009

Driving in poor light early in the morning became so problematic that I felt it best to leave my Dreamlens's in until light conditions had improved. Once it became daylight around 07:30am vision without them was fine. Whilst the lenses aren't the most comfortable to wear for someone who has only worn soft lenses, for this short period of time at this early part of the correction it is not a big deal.

 

Days 6 & 7 - 16/12/2009 & 17/12/2009

Making progress! I am now beginning to notice that my sight remains satisfactory for a much longer period throughout the day without the need for back up lenses. Sleeping with the lenses in is becoming quite comfortable too.

 

Day 8 - 18/12/2009

Today I went to the Contact Lens Practice for my weekly check up. My sight was tested and a corneal topographic scan was taken to view the changing shape of my cornea from wearing the lenses. The scan shows a small area where flattening is occurring in the centre of each eye. Eventually, this will happen to the whole corneal area. As it does so will the sharpness of my vision.  It is so intriguing that after wearing the lenses for only one week, the shape of my cornea has changed quite dramatically and precisely.

 

Days 9-21 - 19/12/2009-31/12/2009

Now I am beginning noticed more subtle changes in my vision than I experienced during the first week of wearing the lenses. Most mornings once I have removed my lenses, it takes between 10 and 30 mins for my eyes to become focused. Once adjusted, in good daylight my vision is brilliant. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to see so clearly without the need of lenses or glasses. My vision deteriorates slightly from around 8pm onwards, but I guess this is due to the poorer light conditions, especially when out in restaurants or bars. However this is only to be expected until my cornea has been totally re-shaped.

 

Days 22-26 - 1/1/2010-5/1/2010

Whilst on holiday in Edinburgh over the new year period, my vision continued to improve. Sharp vision in low light settings still remained a problem; however driving at night is much easier now. Oncoming headlights dazzle less now and the 'halo' effect around them has reduced considerably. March 2010 I now have perfect vision under all conditions. It is a total joy to see so clearly by simply wearing the lenses at night. They are no longer uncomfortable to wear and the benefit they bring is simply astonishing.I can strongly recommend them to any person who would like freedom from wearing glasses or contact lenses. Get in touch with the Contact Lens Practice in Birmingham and experience the benefit of Ortho-k lenses yourself.

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