UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hey everyone, i need some advice. I've had KC for 15 years, progressing worse each year. I have the strongest glasses available and theyre starting to become ineffective. I would go the contact lenses route, but alas i have quite severe allergies. They culminate to a constant runny nose, watery eyes and in general i rub my skin and eyes quite a bit (since i was a youth).

I have tried contacts but once theyre in i have a waterfall of tears and it just doesnt stop. After 3 sepearate attempts, at 20, 26 and 30 years old i decided enough is enough, contacts arent for me. My opthalmologist said intacs were probably the next step for me, but i am personally concerned that if i have a foreign body "in" my eye it will still trigger the rubbing and the tears...

Can anyone offer some advise? maybe someone with hayfever who also got intacs and can cope, or some insight into how uncomfortable intacs are? My fear is that if i rub when theyre in my eye i'll do even more damage than ever before...

Happy New Year !!

ozsteve

Welcome to the forum! I think that allergies are common in people with keratoconus (I have some odd ones, myself: I am allergic to the preservative in some eyedrops, to the sticky surface of elastoplast and to the pollen of the rape oil plant!)

What contact lenses have you tried. I found Rose K pretty good, but the best one I ever had was a scleral. It sits on the white part of the eye and arches over the cornea.

All the best

Andrew

ozsteve....

The intacs are actually IN your eye (i.e. in the cornea) so do not interact with the outside world, so no, won't interact with your allergies! And rubbing eyes is NOT GOOD! Use a cold compress or if you have to... just press the eye firmly but do NOT rub - it causes damage to keratoconic eyes.

Andrew... I too have an allergy to elastoplast. Very annoying it is too, when you cut your finger, are spouting blood and yet run away from anyone brandishing a plaster. They tend to think one is a little crazy!

Don't rub your eyes, it's the worse thing you can do!!!!! As for rubbing your eyes with intacs in...it can hurt like hell if you rub too hard - learnt that the hard way.

Allergy wise a lot of KCers seem to suffer from at least one allergy, mine are

Hayfever
Eczema
Nickel (true allergic reaction)
Virtually all forms of surgical adhesives
Penicillin

thanks for your comments guys... 2008 is the year to get something done about my worsening condition and i think the first step for me is to stop the rubbing... then its a matter of whats available, and my options, but rest assured i'll come straight back to http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk for the latest and greatest... excellent fountain of knowledge, good stuff everyone, keep it up