Quicktopic posts: Mar 2002

[Mohammed]

I have just been given my first set of contact lenses and I'd just like to know what the best kinds of solutions and cleaners there are for hard lenses.

[Cone Eyes]

Dave, Sue, All RE sore eyes in the morning.

Somthing I suffered with very badly until recently.

The thing to remember is the contact lens is constantly rubbing against the eye, like a mechanical component. This can causes minor abrasions which translate as sorness.

The answer is lubrication, which should in theroy reduce the wear on the eye.

I use refresh contact drops during the day this forms a sort of barrier between the eye and contact lens.

To continue this lubrication at night use an ointment. This also soothes any minor. I use BOOTs simple eye ointment before I go to sleep.

Also I can not recomend proper cleaning, protien removal and storing enough.

What kind of wear time do you have. It may be worth reducing or as I do wear one lens at a time 2 - 4 swaps a day.

All the above recomendations will have no effect untill the lens has a stable foundation to rest upon, ie the eye. So work on getting the eye feeling good by resting it etc.

[Ian - Oxfordshire]

Mohammed,

I used to use either Total cleaning and soaking or Boston.

I found that http://www.Postoptics.co.uk provided a cost effective way of purchasing this in 3 month packs. You should rinse thoroughly with Saline as tap water can contain bacteria.

Recently though I have tried Solo Hard - a single bottle solution and have been quite impressed and found my eyes less sore. I am not sure how well this cleans though, but so far so good.

Best advice would be to ask your practitioner as they may warn you away from some solutions due to various additives/preservatives.

Regards
Ian

[Paul C]

Ian - (Oxfordshire), sorry for the delay in responding to your last posting. Now that I am back at work, I've had a lot of catching up to do!

Regarding the topography machine. I don't think you need high power lasers because the optical path length for the measurement is only very small - unlike police speed traps!

I don't know for sure how they work, but if I was designing one myself I would use an optical 'radar' system - which is very similat to the way that ultrasound on aircraft radar works - the only difference is that the signal used is optical rather than radio (for aircraft) or ultrasonic (for pregnancy examinations. The advantage of an optical signal is that due to its very short wavelength, the resolution of the measurement is very high. The processing of such data is easiest done in software - hence the PC/optical interface that many of these machines seem to be.

I'm still looking for some tomography images and will report back if I find any. In the meantime, an optometrist colleague of mine has very kindly offered to take a tomographic scan of my grafted eye and my 'normal' eye for comparison. I will post these on my web site when I have completed them.

The graft seems to be going OK. At Week 11 now with no signs of rejection yet. Stitches still in place and I can reads the third line of the test chart unaided. Not perfect, but as I couldn't even see the chart before the operation - I am still very thankful. I'm hoping to have a spectacle lens prescribed at some time in the not too distant future which I feel will improve my vision further but time will only tell whether I am to gain 'perfect' vision in my grafted eye.

Paul.
http://www.musicscool.com

[Lisa]

Catherine (Peterborough)(617) What a relief to read this message. I find it very difficult emotionally and practically to cope with KC, despite being diagnosed 3 years ago now. I just haven't adapted to wearing the lenses - usual problems people write about - and I find living with KC very hard. Everyday starts badly. It takes me absolutely ages to insert the lens and I feel stressed with the whole experience. By the time I leave the house for work I feel so low. My wear time is just 3 hours a day even now so I struggle through most of the day wearing my glasses, continually squinting. It is even harder to cope when you are experiencing a personal crisis. I know that suffering from KC is not the worst thing in the world but I just find it emotionally draining and complicating. I have so much admiration for the many people who are able to remain so positive despite having KC and enjoy reading the success stories. They give me so much hope.

[waqar]

I've severe KC in both eyes. I was a pilot b4 the diagnosis but every thing changed after the diagnosis. My vision has deterioted from 6/6 both eyes to -17 or some thing. The base line is I'm not giving up. But to do that I've realised that one needs help and forums like this r a great source of imp info.
For now I'll like to know if some one can help me in finding a contact with a good KC doctor and lens fitter in France. I'm arriving there shortly in a week's time from Pakistan and would urgently like to avail this oppurtunity to atleast try the UltraVision's Epicon lenses.Info is hard to get by.i know that the lenses are manufactured in UK but am not sure that who can help me in fitting these lenses in France.
Thank You
Regards
waqaranwar95@hotmail.com

[Cleopatra2]

Lisa (649)Don't be disheartened we have all been there. I was diagnosed 18 years ago when I was 21. We all feel like this sometimes, but it may be an awful thing to say but the KC conference and this site always ground me as there is always someone else having as bad a time or even worse, so you know you are not the only one. I know its obvious but you have to start thinking postively, if you are negative you get a mental block and those lenses never go in and the more frustarated you get the worse it gets. Just take a deep breath, walk away and come back. It is about you and your body and although KC makes you feel you have no control, you do. I understand the personal aspect I have had a wow of a time over the last four years. What I am trying to say is don't be fooled being positive can be hard work but the more you try the easier it gets..I promise

[Cleopatra2]

Cone Eyes (646). I know it sounds obvious but do you actually wash your eyes at night, just pat with water to try and rinse the eyes/eyelashes from chemicals (water that has been boiled and cooled down obviously). You are putting chemicals upon chemicals it sounds. I speak from experience. I am allergic to eveything! When I first started wearing hard lenses I had such dry and sore eyes I walked to Moorfields and told them to take the things away (back then I only knew I had funny shaped eyes). When they calmed me down and looked at my eyes I was told that my eyes were covered in chemicals and in normal circumstances the consultant said he would not let me wear any lenses for a year, which was impractical at the time. Good hygiene is essential and I am not telling you to change your routine but KC are prone to allergies/sensitive so review your routine it may be that you are just mixing too many products/chemicals which by themselves are fine but when you mix them make an irritating cocktail. When I protein clean I try and do it so there is a good four hours min. between the clean and my inserting them in my eyes. Usually I let them 'rest' overnight. I have been told makes no difference but for myself there is...experience has taught me that. I was given hypermellose (without preservaives) which I think are like artifical tears to give some relief
but in the end again it is chemicals so you just have to find your own routine but dont compromise your hygiene as infections are no joke. Good luck