If you are a spectacle or contact lens wearer due to short-sight, the chances are that the first thing you do in the morning is to fumble for your glasses on the bedside table to bring the world into focus again. This could all change! A technique that corrects short sight as you sleep, called Orthokeratology, rather like orthodontics for the eyes, is now becoming widely available.

Contact lenses, worn at night, correct the curvature of the eye. When you wake up in the morning and remove the lenses, you can see perfectly. The effect lasts long enough to get you through the day and in some cases, with prolonged wear, 24-36 hours. There is some evidence that the lenses may slow down the deterioration of vision in those whose sight would otherwise get steadily worse and so children also could find this technique invaluable.

WILL IT DAMAGE MY EYES?                                                                                                                                

Research so far has shown, that if people find the treatment does not work for them for whatever reason, they can revert to glasses or conventional contact lenses without having made any permanent changes. For some it is an alternative to laser surgery, which has the same effect but is of course invasive and permanent treatment.

SOME PATIENT'S COMMENTS

"The lenses were effective after two nights and within a week my distance vision was corrected . I no longer need to wear my varifocals although because of my age I still need to wear glasses for reading.".... "The service I received couldn't have been better.  I felt the examination was very thorough and I'm very pleased with the follow up and aftercare."                                                                           Mrs McCandless  age 53 Dromore

Hannah's mother says "We are very pleased with the results, the transformation has given her more confidence.  Also the freedom from glasses has opened up new opportunities in sport, she is now swimming for her school team."                                                    Hannah Hamilton age 12 Coleraine

"I found out about Ortho-K from my own optician who referred me to Martin Holleys.  After two or three days I noticed a change and after about a week I could go to work without wearing my soft contact lenses, which is great because as a joiner I work in a dusty enviroment and previously had to take my soft lenses out and clean them if I got dust in my eyes.  I find these much easier to use.       Mr Wishart age 25 Newtonabbey