Prescription Lenses
Prescription Lenses
Glasses and Ortho-K have different practical roles. Ordinary prescription glasses correct blurred vision; specialised myopia-control spectacle designs also aim to slow progression in children. Overnight Ortho-K lenses may reduce the need for daytime eyewear in suitable patients.
Keep wearing your prescribed correction as instructed. Buying reading glasses, deliberately undercorrecting vision or stopping glasses is not a safe do-it-yourself method of controlling myopia. A near-vision prescription treats an individual visual need and is not interchangeable with Ortho-K.
Comparisons should consider the specific lens design, the age and prescription studied, length of follow-up and changes in eye growth. Findings from animal experiments do not establish that ordinary reading glasses reverse childhood myopia.
When considering Ortho-K, ask which spectacle or daytime contact lens alternatives suit your child and whether backup glasses may be needed. The clinician should explain likely vision during adaptation and how any interruption in overnight wear will be managed.
Your Ortho-K questions answered
Will I still need glasses while using Ortho-K?
Some patients need backup glasses during adaptation, interrupted wear or for particular visual tasks. Your optometrist should advise on safe vision for school, work and driving.
Are ordinary glasses a myopia-control treatment?
Ordinary single-vision glasses provide clear vision but are not designed to control eye growth. Specific myopia-control lens designs have a different purpose and need professional selection.
Arrange an individual assessment · Ortho-K benefits and risks · Daily lens care
Further reading: International Myopia Institute evidence review. For broader childhood myopia information, visit Myopia Prevention.