When do contacts become an option?

[pam39]

How bad does your eyesight have to become before contact lens become an option rather than glasses?

Pam

[Lizb]

I think it depends person to person and clinic to clinic but if you are able to get useable vision with glasses it is better than using CL. It is possible for CL to aggravate your eyes in different ways, scarring, infection etc.

[pam39]

I have no useful vision in right eye and 6/18 in left eye corrected with glasses. I was just wondering as I got new glasses about 4 weeks ago and did notice a very slight improvement but I suspect my prescription has changed already as I am struggling a bit again. Thanks for your input.

Pam

[Lizb]

I have no useable vision in the left eye in glasses (havent done for about 5 years) though manage with glasses in the right eye (not sure what the prescription is but very strong). It gets me to driving standard and better, i did go through a stage of constantly updating my prescription s few years back (so much so i just had lenses updated in alternate frames and didnt change my frames for some time). I have had the same prescription now for 3 years due at the opticians on monday for sight check up, which may lead to new glasses.

I do get lots better vision in both eyes in contact lenses however i cant wear CL for any length of time - eyes dry out to much no matter which drops i use or how much i use - so manage with glasses currently

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Pam
Contact lenses should be able to improve on the vision you're getting with glasses, so would certainly be worth a try. I think on an earlier thread, various people were suggesting that scleral lenses or maybe semi sclerals would work better for keratoglobus. Did you get a chance to ask about those at your last clinic appointment?
Anne

[pam39]

I did ask, I had an appointment with the optometerist at the clinic regarding visual aids about a month ago. she was not sure if scleral lenses would be suitable for me but said she would phone/email someone else for more information and let me know in 3 months (my next appt with her). However she also said that if these lenses were an option for me my consultant probably would have informed me about them. I got a magnifying glass from her to help me out at work for now. I am just worried as I know the eye sight in my left eye is getting worse and that cornea is also very weak, I have have had problems with abrasions in the past in this eye and as I said I can see very little out my right eye any more. No one has suggested these lenses to me at all so I am just thinking of other options at the moment. I am not due to see my consultant until next year.

Pam

[Andrew MacLean]

Pam

Do I read your correctly that you are seeing a hospital contact lens clinic? If not, ask for a referral to one; if so have they offered any contact lens support?

Andrew

[pam39]

Hi Andrew, I have never been to a contact kense clinic. I attend the eye clinic at the hospital. I did mention the scleral lenses to the optometrist at the hospital, I was sent to see her to discuss visual aids to help me at work. I mentioned the scleral lenses to her and she googled it and said that she would look in to it and give me more info in 3 months when I next see her. Dhe did say though that if they were a viable option for me that the consultant would have informed me. So I don't kmow, maybe she is right. Not due to see consultant for another year but worried about eye sight. Is it the consultant I have to ask for a referral to a contact lens clinic or can I ask my GP? Im not sure if we have a clinic like this in Aberdeen.

Pam

[Andrew MacLean]

When I lived in Aberdeen the hospital contact lens clinic was contracted out to a high street optometrist. i thought they were excellent.

In your place I'd phone the ophthalmology clinic and ask for an appointment. Another way into this would be to turn up at ophthalmology A&E.

When you are with your eye doctor ask about a referral to a contact lens specialist; do not specify which sort of lens you want, just ask for the referral. Your ophthalmologist referring you ought to move things along. When you go to the contact lens clinic the optometrist will probably try first to fit you with the RGP lens; this is almost universally the first lens they try. If you get along well with it, all well and good. If you do not, there are plenty of others to try.

Every good wish.

Andrew

[pam39]

I will give clinic a phone tomorrow. Thank-you.

Pam