While conventional contact lenses are by far the most widely used type of contact, there are other types of contact lenses that can offer a range of visual correction. These types of contacts can be particularly good for those who may struggle with soft contacts or may have been told that they cannot be corrected with conventional contacts. Specialty contact lenses can help with a number of eye issues, from Dry Eye Disease to Corneal conditions that conventional contact lenses do not assist with.
Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses, or more commonly known as “hard contacts” are made of firm, oxygen-permeable material. This oxygen-permeable material allows air to pass through and allows your eyes to “breathe,” providing a better oxygen supply. They also help with Dry Eye Disease as they allow moisture and oxygen to circulate beneath the lens.Scleral contact lenses are a type of RGP. They can prove to be an effective solution for a variety of ocular conditions and provide superior optics even to patients who do not have irregular corneas. Scleral lenses are larger in diameter than conventional lenses therefore they vault the cornea leaving an open space between the cornea and the lens. This space is filled with saline/tears and allows for corneal abnormalities, like Keratoconus or surgical scarring to be accounted for and provide superior optics. It also serves as a moisturizing reservoir, making them very effective at relieving Dry Eye Disease.
Another type of specialty lens is a reverse geometry lens or Orthokeratology (ortho-K). These contact lenses are worn overnight to temporarily reshape the cornea much like a retainer would gently reshape the alignment of your smile. It is a surgery free option that allows some to be able to go without glasses or contacts during the day. It can also be used to slow the progression of myopia in children. In order to achieve visual results you must continue to use the Ortho-K lenses as prescribed by your doctor.
Myopia Management is also a type of specialty contact lens service offered at Truly Eye Care. Nearsightedness in children between the ages of 8 and 16 years old is on the rise. The World Health Organization has estimated over 5 billion people (half of the world’s population) will have some degree of myopia by 20501. Longitudinal studies like the Orinda Longitudinal Study2 and others conducted worldwide have described the development of vision in children to identify the root cause of this uptick in myopia and how to potentially slow this progression. Clinical trials 3 aimed at proving whether measures to slow the progression of myopia are effective have shown these methods can be effective and are used at Truly Eye Care to help when appropriate. One such method is MiSight contact lenses. They are FDA approved for the treatment of myopia and have proven to effectively slow down the progression of myopia. Slowing a child’s myopia is a key factor in reducing their risk of eye disease later in life. As a child’s eye rapidly elongates with the progression of myopia the retina stretches out weakening its connection to the rest of the eye. The weaker the retina becomes, the greater the risk of developing sight-threatening complications such as retinal detachment later on in life.
We are happy to discuss what options are available to address your family's eye care needs with our specialty contact lens services.
To book your appointment
call Truly Eye Care at 407-801-2477 or book online at www.trulyeyecare.com/services .
1) James R. Landreneau, MD et al., “Review of the Myopia Pandemic: Epidemiology, Risk factors, and Prevention”. Mo Med. 2021 Mar-Apr; 118(2): 156–163. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8029638/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20myopia%20exceeds,degree%20of%20myopia%20by%202050.
2) Zadnik, K et al., “Origial Cross-sectional results from the Orinda Longitudinal Study of Myopia”. Optometry and Vision Science, Vol 70#9 pp 750-758. 1993
3) Chamberlain,P et al, “Long Term Effect of Dual Focus Contact Lenses on Myopia Progression in Children: A 6 year Multicenter Clinical Trial”. Optometry and Vision Science Vol 99 (3) pp 204-212