You’ve probably heard the terms CRT and ortho-k, but do you fully understand what they mean? Any discussion of Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT) and orthokeratology (ortho-k) must begin with a basic definition of these specialized lenses and their vision shaping process. Ortho-k, which has been around for many years, offers an effective non-surgical way for nearsighted people to have clear vision without wearing eyeglasses or inserting daytime contact lenses. CRT lenses, made by Paragon and FDA-approved in 2002, are an advanced version of ortho-k lenses constructed from newer materials.
Is your child tired of wearing eyeglasses or contacts? CRT may be the solution!
Even after years of needing eyewear, CRT can allow your nearsighted child to leave home and view all the fine details of the world with no eyeglasses or contacts. Before bedtime, she’ll need to insert the CRT lenses, which are specialized, gas permeable lenses. While sleeping, these contacts will gently mold her cornea into a new shape, correcting the refractive error causing myopia (nearsightedness). Upon awakening, she’ll remove the lenses and enjoy sharp vision. The effects typically last one to two days, so these ortho-k lenses must be worn regularly for consistent results.
How can CRT help your child’s nearsightedness?
Myopia is an increasing problem in kids around the world. The cause behind this growing vision condition isn’t crystal-clear, yet a possible culprit is the large amount of time many kids spend indoors gazing at hand-held electronic devices. Nowadays, we diagnose a very large number of children with nearsightedness at our clinic. When kids return for follow-up eye exams, many require a new, stronger vision prescription every year.
Parents are alarmed by the rapid annual deterioration of their child’s eyesight, and kids are generally dismayed or embarrassed by the increasing thickness of their lenses! CRT can address and fix these concerns.
Many scientific studies have shown that in addition to correcting vision temporarily, CRT can slow, or possibly halt, the continued progression of myopia in kids – by as much as 90%! By flattening the corneal curvature, CRT can control the further decline of nearsightedness. As long as your child has healthy eyes and mild to moderate myopia, he may be a good candidate for ortho-k. Please contact us for more info and to schedule an eye exam and CRT fitting with our optomerist.
More Benefits of CRT for Kids
Most active children don’t want to bothered by eyeglasses slipping down their nose when they’re running on the sports field. Additionally, eyeglasses are always being thrown into the bottom of a backpack, or tossed on the table before running out to play. This leads to frequent breakage or losses, and every parent bemoans the cost of constantly repairing or replacing eyeglasses! CRT lenses are worn only in bed, so the risk of loss or damage is very minimal.
When compared to regular contacts, CRT lenses aren’t worn during the day. Therefore, kids who spend a lot of time outdoors in dirty, dusty fields, on the beach, or in swimming pools, won’t be bothered by contacts.
The rapid worsening of nearsightedness in kids has also been associated with poor future eye health. By putting the brakes on your child’s myopia progression, you are helping to improve his ocular health as an adult, making him less prone to eye disease and other complications.
Why Use CRT for Myopia Control in Kids, and not LASIK?
Laser surgeries, such as LASIK, are not suitable or approved for young children. In contrast, many studies have demonstrated that ortho-k vision shaping is safe for all ages. It is currently regarded as the ideal method for efficient myopia control in children.
Help your child look sharp and feel great! Please contact us to reserve an appointment to discuss your child’s candidacy for CRT.