Can children wear orthokeratology lenses when they are sick?

Orthokeratology lenses are one of the effective methods for preventing and controlling myopia progression based on long-term fitting practice and many clinical studies. By wearing them at night, the curvature of the central area of ​​the cornea is flattened within a certain range, thereby temporarily reducing the degree of myopia by a certain amount.

Many parents must have doubts in their minds: Can their children wear orthokeratology lenses when they are sick?

Orthokeratology lenses are worn directly on the cornea of ​​the eye, and their inner surface is composed of multiple arc segments. This feature also makes it possible for some sediment to appear on the lenses frequently. If they are not cleaned in time, it will increase the discomfort of wearing the lenses and reduce the service life of the lenses; more seriously, it may increase the risk of bacterial infection of the eyes, leading to corneal damage and eye infection. During the illness of children, viruses and bacteria may exist around the hands, eyes, mouth, nose, etc., which can easily lead to the growth of bacteria in the eyes or orthokeratology lenses. Therefore, it is recommended to stop wearing them during this period and wait until the child recovers from the cold before wearing them again.

Because the substances deposited on the lens and their deposition methods are special, the correct care and wearing of orthokeratology lenses must follow strict standards.

Key steps in orthokeratology lens care[1]

Wear glasses at night

①Observe the lens: observe the condition of the lens to see whether it is complete and clean.

②Clean your hands: It is recommended to strictly implement the six-step hand washing method to disinfect and clean your hands.

③ Clean and rinse the lens: Clean, rub and rinse the lens thoroughly. When rubbing, be careful to use moderate strength and do not use too much force at the intersection of the arcs to avoid local deformation, wear and even cracking of the lens. After rubbing, you can use 0.9% sodium chloride solution or special flushing fluid to rinse the lens.

④ Wearing into the eye: Place the cleaned lens with the concave surface facing up on the tip of the right index finger, and drip enough lubricant or eye drops into the groove of the lens to reduce the bubbles on the inner surface of the lens after wearing. Use the middle fingers of both hands to pull open the upper and lower eyelids respectively, and gently stick the lens to the center of the cornea. If the operation is not smooth, you can use a suction stick to assist in wearing the glasses.

⑤ Pour out the remaining care solution in the mirror box, use full-function care solution to clean and disinfect the mirror box and suction rod, and rinse with sterile 0.9% sodium chloride solution and dry.

Image source: Photo Network

Take off your glasses in the morning

① Before removing the lens: Check whether the care accessories are complete and clean. Clean your hands thoroughly. Drop lubricant or eye drops into the eye and observe whether the lens moves. If the lens is obviously sticky or cannot be moved with force, it is recommended to drop lubricant or eye drops again.

② Removing glasses: The person removing glasses must observe the positioning of the lenses before removing them to ensure that the lenses are on the cornea or ocular surface before trying to remove them.

Since the diameter of orthokeratology lenses is relatively large, please note that when using the finger method to remove the lens, try to pull the upper and lower eyelids apart to expose the upper and lower edges of the lens. The suction stick method is the same as the operation of hard lenses. The palpebral fissure should be fully exposed, and the suction stick can be placed at the bottom near the periphery of the lens.

③After removing the glasses: It is recommended to clean the lenses immediately after removing them to avoid tears and protein precipitation that will make cleaning more difficult after drying. The lenses are mainly cleaned by rubbing with a full-function care solution.

④Disinfection and storage: Disinfection mainly uses care products, and the time required by the relevant products must be met. For storage, it is recommended to use a multi-functional care solution. When using hydrogen peroxide for disinfection, a matching device must be used.

Content source:

[1] Expert consensus on orthokeratology lens care (2024)

Medical knowledge is for reference only and is not used as a basis for diagnosis