SKIPTON's short-sighted youngsters are gaining a new view of the world – without their glasses – thanks to their local optician.

Abandoning specs is not normally the advice opticians give but it is working well for those who have taken up a novel form of night time sight correction, called Ortho-k.

Skipton sisters, Hana and Selina Mahmood, aged nine and seven, and 11-year-old Joshua Gaunt also from Skipton, have stopped wearing their glasses and are correcting their vision as they sleep with this reversible, non-surgical treatment.

Benjamin Opticians in Newmarket Street suggested this was the best way for the youngsters to enjoy the fun of youth without being hampered by specs and day-time lenses.

“Joshua, a keen surfer, can see clearly in the sea now without wearing lenses, glasses, goggles or having laser surgery,” said optician June Perera. His prescription had deteriorated to -4.5 dioptres in four years and he was needing specs with greater powers. Thanks to Ortho-K there has been a tremendous difference to his life with good vision all day long.”

His dad, David, said: “Joshua has just completed his life saving course, and much is due to Ortho-K. These lenses have made a tremendous difference to his life. We are all amazed by it. Within the first week his eyesight had improved beyond belief and now he has 20/20 vision.”

Ortho K involves the child wearing specially made contact lenses at night which gently flatten the cornea as they sleep. They then remove them in the morning and have near perfect vision all day long, without lenses or spectacles.

The principle of Ortho-K has been around for thousands of years since the Chinese discovered that gentle pressure on the eye could reshape the cornea, thereby reducing short-sightedness.

The science has progressed to a near perfect art with advances in topography for taking detailed maps of the eye in seconds, which allow tailor-made lenses to be produced.

June said: “These 3D maps of the eye’s surface are sent directly to the lab to be made into bespoke contact lenses. Within hours of the patient wearing them, the cornea has reshaped to bring everything back into focus. They are just as comfortable to wear as other contact lenses.”

Like Joshua, Selina and Hana have thrown themselves into sport since starting to use Ortho-k, confident that they do not have to worry about breaking or losing their glasses. Selina, who has a family history of short-sightedness, was already -2.5 dioptres at the age of six.

June added: “Ortho-K means a new lease of life for many myopic children. Freedom for sport, swimming and other pursuits, which is usually hampered by spectacles or contact lenses, is a great boost to self-confidence. Additionally, Ortho-K may have lasting benefits for children, as a series of international studies are showing the long-term benefits of the treatment.”