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Ortho-K Lenses: Price, Benefits & Things You Need To Know

2022-12-08

Are you one of the many people who suffer from near-sightedness?

Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one. According to the International Myopia Institute, near-sightedness, also known as myopia, is a common cause of correctable vision loss. In fact, they estimate that half the world's population by 2050 will have it!

Thankfully, it’s not something that cannot be solved by wearing contact lenses or prescription glasses. You’re just going to have to wear those for pretty much the rest of your life, but at least you can see properly!

However, there’s another possible solution: Ortho-K. It’s actually a pretty good solution, especially if you really don’t like wearing glasses or contacts (sort of for contacts, at least).

Read on to know more about this revolutionary treatment for the eyes that’s growing in popularity!
 

First things first: How do you know if you have near-sightedness?

If you’re not sure if you have myopia or near-sightedness, then see if you can relate to these symptoms given by the Mayo Clinic:

  • You see far away objects as mere blurs or blobs.
  • You need to squint or partially close your eyelids so that you can see clearly far away.
  • Your eyes feel strained a lot when you look at the distance.
  • You experience a lot of headaches.

And if you do suffer from near-sightedness, your child might have it as well. Check out if your child has the following behaviors:

  • They squint a lot or all the time
  • They don’t seem to see far away objects, or don’t react at all, such as distant airplanes
  • They blink a lot and rub their eyes frequently.
  • When watching TV, they sit really close.

If these are familiar to you, then it’s likely you do have this condition. That makes you a good candidate for Ortho-K. You can ask your optometrist in North Shore, Auckland about this.
 

Okay, so what is Ortho-K?

Ortho-K (Orthokeratology), also known as Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT), is a non-surgical procedure that can correct your vision. Yes, you read that right: it’s non-surgical! 

That means Ortho-K is non-invasive. This procedure doesn’t involve you getting a laser to correct your eyes, especially if you’re iffy about it. 

Instead, the Ortho-K procedure involves you wearing rigid, specially-designed lenses. When you wear them, these lenses will slowly and safely reshape your cornea. And when that happens, your vision will be corrected. 

And unlike the usual contact lenses, you wear the Ortho-K lenses at night while sleeping and take them out in the morning. Yes, the saying “Don’t keep your contacts in at night!” doesn’t apply here - ask any optometrist from NZ.

What happens here is that in the morning, when you take out the lenses, your eyes retain their new shape, and you can walk around enjoying excellent vision. You’ll have your improved vision for around two days. After that, you’re going to have to wear your Ortho-K lenses all over again.

It can be quite tedious and all that repetition might feel annoying, but if you think about it, it’s better than wearing glasses that might break or contacts that you might lose. 
 

How much are Ortho-K lenses?

So you might be wondering what Ortho-K lenses cost. Well, here at NVISION Eyecare, the cost for a pair is around $1950. The Ortho-K lenses price is inclusive of custom-made Ortho-K lenses, fitting, and follow up appointments for up to one month. Right now, insurance doesn’t cover the cost of the lenses.

While you might find that the Ortho-K price is quite steep, consider that these lenses can last for up to two years before they need to be replaced. But if you still think the cost is too expensive, well, here’s something to consider:

Every time you visit your eye doctor in Auckland for an examination, your eye grade can change. Having just one pair of Ortho-K is less expensive than the possibility that you might keep changing your glasses or contact lens grade.

Plus, as mentioned above, there’s always a possibility of you breaking your glasses, or losing them or your contacts. Even a simple scratch can render your vision corrective device practically useless. Therefore, spending a big amount once is still less expensive than having to spend little amounts plenty of times.
 

What are the benefits of Ortho-K lenses?

Some of the benefits of wearing Ortho-K lenses are the following:

Ortho-K is non-invasive and temporary.

As mentioned, this procedure is great for people who are not ready to have their eyes touched by a laser. Also, if you’re the type of person who would still love to wear glasses from time to time (i.e. for fashion reasons), this is good as well. At least you won’t have to make a major commitment when it comes to your eyes.
 

Ortho-K is helpful for people who are active.

If your work involves you moving around a lot, like being an athlete or a police officer, Ortho-K might be just what you need. You don’t need to wear any glasses which can get knocked off just to have clearer vision. You’ll be able to focus on your job, instead of having to think about how to keep your corrective lenses in place.
 

Ortho-K helps out people who don’t or can’t wear contacts.

There are plenty of reasons why people can’t wear contacts. One, it might be because you live in a hot and windy place. The climate can cause dry eyes, which makes it uncomfortable to wear contacts.

Another reason is that you might be allergic to conventional contacts. You’ll know you are when your eyes react the minute you try one on. So if you are, but you also don’t want to wear glasses, what other way can you solve your near-sightendness, right?

Ortho-K is what you need to avoid wearing contacts.
 

Where can you get Ortho-K in New Zealand?

Are you now interested in getting a pair or just want to know more about this procedure? Well, we’re sure that there are plenty of eye doctors in New Zealand that you can visit. But if you want to talk to only arguably the best optometrist in Albany, look no further than us at NVISION Eyecare!

We are an independent optometry practice that offers both general and specialty eye care using state-of-the-art technology. Our specialized eye care services include myopia control for children, specialty contact lens fitting for corneal ectasias, dry eye treatment, and orthokeratology, or Ortho-K. So if you’re interested in Ortho-K, just drop by and let our NVISION optometrist know what you need.

Rest assured that here at NVISION, you’ll get nothing but the highest level of care.

Visit us at Apollo Health and Wellness Centre. We’re open 9 AM to 2:30 PM from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays, our schedule is half day, meaning we’re only open from 8:30 in the morning up to 12 noon. We’re closed on Sundays and public holidays.

If you want to make an appointment, just call us at 09-884-0034 or fill up our online form.

We look forward to serving you soon and making your vision better than ever.