UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello, I'm new here. I'm 21 years old and have been diagnosed with keratoconus for a few years now.

I have trouble keeping my eyelids closed when I'm trying to sleep as well as during the night while sleeping. Because of this, it can take some time for me to fall asleep and I often wake up with very dry eyes. I think my keratoconus may have a role in this, because the problem affects my left eye more than the right and my left-eye keratoconus is more advanced. I don't use any lenses now, but I have used RGP's before.

Have anyone of you had the same experiences and do you know what causes this and what might be a solution to the problem?
I'm sorry if this is already has been discussed in another topic, but I couldn't find it.

Hello Hcln and welcome to the forum,
I'm sorry you haven't had any replies yet, but what you're describing does sound unusual and I don't remember it being raised here before. Do you still go to a hospital eye clinic or optician to have your KC monitored? And if so, have you talked about it there? There are various eye drops for dry eyes, so it could also be worth talking to your GP.
Anne

Hlcn

I wonder, have you ever tried using a mask? You can get them in your local pharmacy, and although they do look a little odd, they have the beneficial effect of holding your eyelids closed while you sleep.

Every good wish

Andrew

Thank you for your replies.

I do not have my eyes monitored anymore. I found that the inability to close the eyelids completely (during night) is called (nocturnal) lagophthalmos. I'm not sure if this fully covers my problem, because I also have the feeling my eyelids want to be fully open and I need to keep them closed actively when trying to sleep. Since this is not a common problem for people with KC, I think it might not be related after all. Although I read that lagophthalmos may cause corneal damage in severe cases, I only suffer from this quite recently.

I haven't tried using an eye mask yet, but I am planning to do so. I will also consult my GP about the use of eye drops or other possibilities.