UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi Everyone

Ive had KC for what seems like forever - but nobody has ever really gone into any detail about the thickness of my cornea etc, I dont even see a eye doctor anymore just see a optometrist.

Anyhow today I decided to ask a few more questions.

After 28 years I have found out my KC would be classed as mild (this astounds me as without lenses I cannot even see the eye chart let alone read any letters)

I have also been told that I am quite short sighted - something else I wasnt aware of.

I alwayst thought the CL was only correcting the KC and was not aware that it was also correcting my short sightedness. Perhaps its my fault for not asking more questions - but I am definitely finally more informed.

On a positive note I have been informed that after the age of 40ish the collagen in the cornea becomes stronger - so theres are some positive for growing old.

Thought I'd share this

Libby

Hi Libby,
Good to hear that asking questions has produced some good news for you.
My experience was the opposite to yours - I wore contact lenses for years to correct what I thought was just extreme shortsightedness. It was only when I could hardly see out of my lenses that I discovered I also had KC (optoms weren't very good at picking up KC years ago).
It would be interesting to know how many of us with KC are shortsighted independently of the KC - my guess is that it's one of the factors affecting how well a corneal graft will correct the vision. But one of the professionals on this forum may tell me I'm quite wrong about that.
The fact that the cornea thickens naturally after the age of 40 (a bit depressing to think of the ageing process starting as early as that!) is one that's been mentioned at several of the talks we've had recently at meetings and conferences. Which explains why for many people KC eventually stabilises. As you say, getting older is not all bad news!
Anne

Hi Libby,

I'm also very short-sighted. But how much of that is 'normal' short sight (due to a longer eye) and how much is due to a distorted cornea I don't know. Neither am I sure how bad my KC is. With glasses my right eye can barely make out the top line, my left eye can see the 6/6 line looking through the centre of the lens, but off axis everything blurs. So without my contact lenses I can't really see anything clearly. What I do know is that my eyes, especially the right, are proving to be tricky to fit with contact lenses.

And one of the down sides of growing older is the need for reading glasses on top of the contact lens. I'd love a pair of multi-focal contact lenses but I think I'll settle for a comfortable pair of lenses.

Lia

Hi Lia

I know exactly what you mean.

I have just got to the stage at 47 where I am having to wear a pair of reading glasses on top of my contact lenses.

I am having alot of very funny looks and comments from my friends and work colleagues because when i have had bad CL days which we all have I have had the usual "why dont you just wear glasses" comments, I have explained that glasses do not correct the problem sufficiently - now however they see me wearing glasses - I now am having to explain I am still wearing a CL but with reading glasses as well - oh what joy lol

Regards
Libby x

Glad to hear you have a few more answers x

That's interesting new info.
I wore glasses for "Ordinary" short sight for about 5 years (age 8-13) before the KC put in an appearance.
That's hardly surprising as just about everyone in my immediate family wears/wore glasses for shortsightedness (with or without astigmatism).
Rosemary

Ooh I am so painfully familiar with the old 'why dont you wear glasses thing' apparently even if its said to you for the 100th time by some muppet with 20/20 vision you are not allowed to do an impression of Miss Piggy and flatten them.

I should now like to state that I have two different contact lenses (thank god I only have two eyes) with different solutions needed for each and I wear one pair of glasses for reading books and one pair for using the computer.

My corneas must be nice and thick as I am 86 oops wrong glasses I mean 56!