Keratoconus and Spectacles

[javedsaleem]

Hi,

I was recently diagnosed with Keratoconus by my Optiicians - Specsavers.

I went to the Hospital and they confirmed this. They handed me over to the care of my Optician.

The Optician has given me RGP Contact Lenses, but I am having great dificulty getting them in and even more dificulty getting them out. Ehen they rae in , they are uncomfortable. I have justed started to wear them.

Is their an alternative to the RGP Contact Lenses - I would prefer Spectacles, as they are much better for me personally.

Does anyone have any suggestions ??

Also, who is the the UK's leading consultant on Keratoconus ??

Thanks

[Louise Pembroke]

Hi Javed, welcome.
My guess is you need more lubrication in your eyes, RGP's take time to adjust to. Build up the wear gradually by increasinging it by an hour each day, don't rush it. Whatever solution you are using to put the lenses in with, use more. I use Hypromellose during the day if my lens feels uncomfortable, and then before I remove at it night, I flood the eye with it first, this helps lift it off a bit before removal.
When I put the lens in, again, I flood the eye with Hypromellose then this helps to 'suck' the lens onto the eye.
Speak to your optom again about the problems you're having so they can review your technique, and usage of solutions.
You will get there!
My guess is the optom has prescribed lenses for you because your vision cannot be corrected with glasses

[Louise]

Hi,

I was diagnosed with KC about 5 years ago (when I was 20) I was left to use my glasses for 2 years after this until it became necessary for me to use RGP's. 2 1/2 years on I'm still not settled with lenses but I am getting there.

Don't expect to be like people who wear soft lenses, RGP's take a bit of getting used to (for me anyway) it may be worth asking your optician for a pair of glasses to - if you don't already have them as a back-up.

Don't be too disheartned though. I can remember sitting for up to 45mins at a time just to get one lens in after all, it's against your own instinct to actually poke yourself in the eye with an object

[GarethB]

At first most people experience mild discomfort to complete agony with lenses.

They do take time to get used to and most opticians recomend that you start at 1 - 2 hours initially and build up by one hour per day to an initila maximum of 8 hours.

After that increase by an hour each subsequent week to a max of 12 hours but only if comfortable.

It is important to have a small well of lens storage/conditioning/wetting (different manufacturesr refer to this in different ways) fluid so if the lens is off centre, there is some lubrication while you massage the lens into place.

You do not say how long you have had lenses, but putting them in and out like everything in life takes patience and practice.

If you go to the home page and find Features and look at the articles&studies on KC there is a nice explanation of why glasses are only useful in very early KC.

Basically glasses are fine for regular astigmatism. In KC we have a large amount of astigmatism complicated by the corneal surface being irrigeluar unlike a normal cornea. This causes the light hitting the cornea to be bent in all sorts of funny directions which glasses can not account for. With corneal lenses they in effect smooth out those irregularities and by special machingin of the surface that touches the cornea, the KC bulge is made smooth. So the light sees a nice smooth surface for light to be bent properly.

In mild to more advanced KC glasses are useless. With glasses my right eye can not see the top line, my left can get three lines down on an eye chart. With corneal lenses I can see right down to the bottom.

If lenses are still a problem and you have perservered with trying to build up lens wear but can not, go back to your fitter. Your Specsavers may be experienced with KC, some here, me included have fouind the mainstream high street optoms to be quite poor with KC and have found independent locl optoms that have been far better.

First you must give them the benefit of the doubt. If you need to go back explain in minute detail what the issues are and if they try new lenses what is comfortable and what you can see. If they are a good optom they will listen and act on what you say.

Lens fitting for KC is as much an art as it is a science.

Hope this helps.

Gareth