Nerves and Abrasions

[John W]

Hi All

I have gotten on with my RGP's (Last posted in JAN) really well. wear time was great and the pain of puting them in gone. The only problem i have is when i put them in they never go straight to the centre. I almost have to look them on...if that make sense.

anyway I had my lenses out the other day, usual saturday day off and I was sunbathing for the fisrt time in a while and was startled at the number of floaters I saw...so scared i was on the phone Monday morning and in the casualty unit at windsor the following Wednesday afternoon. She looked in my eyes and told me to come back in 2 weeks but that everything was ok. So i went back last Friday (Not yesterday). A new doctor, a he, looked in my eyes and said all is well at the back of the eye but that my optic nerves looked a bit different, but because there were no other symptoms he detemined by exclusion i was born with them like it (Has anyone else ever heard of this). He said it was nothing to worry about.

Anyway, he hen went to do the pressure test, all good 12 and 13 left right respectively. eye test, all good, second to bottom line with lenses in each eye, pinhole could get the bottom line. Visual fields all good and the colour blindness test was fine too....Never had such a thorough exam!

Anyway, he was quite interested in my KC so I let him have a look and he called in a colleague. I was then told i have a lot of abrasions. He asked a load more quesions, his collague, and he said I have to take eye drops and not wear my lenses, but couldnt undertsnad hwy i wasnt in agony with the number oi abrasions I had. He said i must have good eye hygeine as he was surprised they were not infected!!!

So my question is has anyone else ever had these, or the optic nerve thing. Are abrasions part of RGP{ and KC or is it a seperate problem?? How do you precent them more. I have finished the antibioics and can now wear my lenses again. I have to go back to the opthamologist Friday for them to have anoher look at the front of my eye

[Andrew MacLean]

When you went to the hospital talking about 'floaters' they immediately checked for glaucoma (hence their interest in both your IOP (eye pressure) and the condition of your optic nerve). If they say everything is well on both of those fronts, then they score off glaucoma.

However, floaters are also associated with abrasions. Abrasions, in turn, are associated with the thinner corneas that people with KC have, and often occasioned contact lens wear.

It is good to know that your immediate problem is now behind you, but I think it may be worth popping along to your contact lens clinic and asking them to take a look at the 'fit' of your current lenses.

All the best

Andrew

[rosemary johnson]

I've had abrasions before - though not long-lasting or judged as serious for a long time. Mind, I wear scleral lenses which may be slightly easier on the eyes as regards rubbing.
Abrasion of cornea by lenses is an occupational hazard.
I'm interested by them reckoning you have an odd optic nerve. Are you super-sensitive to bright lights?
Floaters I always find more of a problem in summer as they show up more in bright sunlight than on gloomy winter days.
Rosemary

[John W]

Thanks for the replies.

Regarding the optic nerve thing...hey did say I should have another visual fields test to determine if anything has been made worse...my last fields test was fine and I have to say I have never noticed anything odd in my visual field. The only small thing i notice when I have just my right eye lens in is that I can notice the normal blind spot when reading.

Anyway they pointed me to this website last time I went and asked if I would mind doing the visual test on their before the appointment. It would help them determine if it is necessary to do one. So I did it..the link is here if anyone fancies a go:

http://www.testvision.org/

My left eye was fine and my right I missed the one directly below the blindspoi...still considered fine on the analysis section.

Im glad they are being cautious, but I think the optom who saw me has not considered that the abrasions are likely due to KC and are probably not an infection...but again, they have to be sure right.

Try the visual test though...its quite intriguing and clever. Needs Flash to work.

Ill let you know how my real hospital fields test goes on Friday if they decide in the end to do one