Worried about my KC, it seems to be changing?

[Joe Bloggs]

About three months ago i posted on here saying i was diagonsed with KC but only started putting on glasses and contacts for the first time. Now, after three months I have gotten used to wearing glasses and to a lesser extent RGP's. I still have discomfort when i wear RGP's especially when i blink, and just cant seem to get the thought out of my head that there is something plastic in my eye and it still isn't comfortable. I was hoping this notion would wear off and although i can tolerate them through most of the day, it is still a far cry in terms of comfort when compared to not wearing them at all. My eyes seem to get watery a lot still which is probably normal I guess. Anyways that my experience and update with them so far.

The main reason i'm posting here though is about last week. I was taking out my left lens out of my eye in the evening, the edge of it slightly bumped against my left eye (which is also my good eye) this caused it to go extremely red and itchy for a few days, I had to go into the eye clinic to get some ointment as they said the collision with the edge of the lens caused a slight abrasion in the eye. Its healed now but to my horror I noticed since then, my glasses dont seem to be very effective at all! They helped a lot with my left eye before even if they didnt give me as good vision as contacts. But I could go through the day with glasses, but since this happened my left eye vision has changed. I have had another eye test today and was told my left eye has worsened slightly so they needed to increase the "power" of the left lens of the glasses, whereas for some reason I was also told my right eye has slightly improved which has me puzzled. So I had to pay £70 for the left lens re-prescription after just 3 months. I kept the right lens as before as this would have doubled the price, and thats my bad eye so glasses lens dont help it anyway.

Whats surprised me is I can't believe it would change like this so quick after just some red eye discomfort over the weekend. To give you an idea of my vision it currently stands at
right = distance: 6/15 near: N10
left distance:6/7.5+ near: N8

I have no idea what that means but thats what it shows on the piece of paper that was given to me after the eye test today.

I'm worried about my KC as it has definately worsened in my left eye and it seems to be getting to the point where I wont be able to cope unless I wear RGP's all the time. Even these new glasses with their stronger left lens arent as effective as my old ones were over a week ago.

[donna]

Hi, the same thing happened to me, I was diagnosed last December and had to have stronger glasses. After 8 weeks my vision had changed so I went back and the KC had also started in my right eye. This time I was told tha vision was slightly better in my left eye but worse in my right! I was then refered to hospital.
Now I am at the point where I cant wear glasses at all, they do nothing for me anymore so its lenses all the time now. My right eye is changing all the time and is nearly as bad as my left now,but this is what KC is like, its very unpredictable and until it reaches the stage where it settles down it can change rapidly. Its one of the hardest things to cope with I think.
I am not an expert but I think the bump to your eye didnt cause the KC to worsen , I think its a coincedence. I will say dont worry just get checked out often. But I worried myself sick and was having panic attacks! I also have days where I feel very sad and depressed. Its all normal.
If your lenses are not very comfy go back and get the fit checked or try a different type, it makes a huge difference and will help if you get to the stage where you cant wear glasses anynore

[Matthew_]

Joe,
Try not to worry. I am not sure whether an abrasion can worsen KC, I think they are more often a part of life with lenses. Maybe someone with more knowledge than me can comment?
KC can progress fairly rapidly and then simply stabilise. My left eye was something in the order of 6/18 when I was first diagnosed in Nov 05. It is now around 6/120 so that has progressed pretty quickly. My right eye has stayed sub clinical throughout. It could continue like that or it could just stop. What you are going through sounds exactly like my experience; fiddling about with the power of the spectacle lenses and finding pretty quickly I needed to power up again. Eventually, I gave up on glasses altogether. They make a small amount of difference to the right eye but nothing on the left. But rgps bring everything into sharp focus. This is a great comfort.
I think you should see a consultant and get them to take a look. That should address your concerns; at least then you will know. It is not possible for any of to say what is happening in your eyes, only compare our own experiences. The disease can progress there is no getting away from that, but get it checked out. Its a lot easier once you know what you are dealing with.
Best of luck.

[GarethB]

When my KC was changing, I only noticed it through eye tests or a period without vision correction. This the specialist and I put down to changes being so gradual, my brain was able to compensate. Take the aid away and the brain forgot how to compensate.

When I had lens fit problems in 2005 I was convinced the KC was changing. What was happening my eye was drying too much and then watering loads to compensate which was not enough to get the lens to sit in the correct position.

Had a test for dry eyes and although the test showed I was on the low end of the normal range which in a normal situation would not be treated, mine has because of the KC. Lens comfort is now brilliant. Following the treatemnt for dry eyes I could wear a lens for 23 hours instead of about 30 minutes. Since changing to a healthier diet and replacing caffeine, fizzy and squash drinks with water (at least 2 litres per day) and eating whole fruit I can now wear a lens for an easy 12 hours comfortably.

Now the only time I know I have lenses in is when I am tierd, grit in my eye or when I am talking about contact lenses.

[rosemary johnson]

Hapened to me, with the glasses.
In third form of grammar school, got ragged along by my mum to the opticiann's for annual check up and new glasses.
Glasses ordered.
When they arrived, a couple of weeks later, they weren't any better than the old ones.
Parents took me back to optician's to complain.
Optician, fortunately, knew about KC.
within a few weeks I'd decided that the glasses, even the new ones, weren't any better than not wearing them - and by not wearing them, I didn't have all the specs of dust on the specs to look through, so gave up.
Got put straight into sclerals.
Was rather surprised a few years later to find the medical consultant I eventually got passed on to referred to e as having "rapidly-developing" KC.
Rosemary