Ortho-K Lens Cleaning
Ortho-K lenses provide safe, effective myopia control and clear daytime vision. The most important factor in ensuring safe wear is following the recommended lens care routine.
As a contact lens wearer, your role in ensuring a trouble-free experience is extremely important. There are three key areas:
- Cleaning
- Disinfection and storage
- Ongoing care
1. Cleaning
To clean an Ortho-K lens, place the lens in the palm of your hand and apply a few drops of cleaner. Rub the cleaner into the lens for 20 to 30 seconds. Take care not to scratch or damage the lens, as Ortho-K lenses can break with excessive force. This step removes material that deposits on the lens during wear.
Enzyme cleaning: Enzyme cleaning is an extra step to remove protein deposits. We recommend using an enzymatic cleaner at least once every two weeks. Boston One Step Liquid Enzymatic Cleaner is a simple and convenient way to effectively remove protein deposits. Allow the lenses to remain in the enzyme solution for at least 2 hours.
2. Disinfection and Storage
After cleaning, store lenses in fresh conditioning solution in your case, ensuring the lens is completely submerged for at least 4 hours. This step kills microbes on your lenses. The lens is then ready to be inserted into the eye. To increase lens-wearing comfort, a few drops of rewetting solution can be applied to the lens before insertion.
Never store your lenses in tap water, as microorganisms can cause eye infections.
After removing the lens from the case, discard the used solution. Rinse the case with hot water each day and allow it to air dry. Once a week, the case should be cleaned with cleaner and allowed to air dry. The case must be replaced periodically.
3. Ongoing Care
While an Ortho-K lens can last for more than a year, longevity will vary depending on the individual eye, patient and lens material. Some patients may need to replace their lenses more frequently than others. For this reason, it is important to have the Ortho-K lens checked at least once a year.
This check will ensure that the surface of the lens, the fit of the lens and the power of the lens are all as they should be. If you experience reduced comfort, blurred vision or find a coating forming on the lens, check with your consultant. These may be signs that your lens needs to be replaced.
Guidelines
The following guidelines are designed to maximise the safety of your Ortho-K treatment.
- Always wash your hands with cold, cream-free and deodorant-free soap before handling contact lenses.
- Any time you remove your lenses, always clean and disinfect them before reinserting.
- Follow your consultant’s lens care recommendations exactly.
- Clean and air-dry the contact lens case every day. Wash and clean the lens case once a week.
- Always check with your consultant before changing solutions.
- Replace lens cases periodically.
- Avoid using solution bottles for long periods after they have been opened. Check with your consultant for the recommended time to use opened solution bottles, which is typically 30 to 60 days after opening.
- Never reuse solutions. Discard used solutions immediately.
- Never use saliva to moisten a contact lens, and never put a contact lens into your mouth.
- Never use homemade saline.
- Never store contact lenses in non-sterile fluids such as distilled water, tap water, bottled water or home-purified water.
Warning signs: If an eye becomes red or uncomfortable while a contact lens is in place, remove the lens immediately. If the problem continues after the lens has been removed, see your eye care professional immediately. Make an emergency appointment if needed.
If you would like to discuss myopia control, phone us on (02) 9872 1555 to arrange an appointment or book online.
