To wear or not to wear RGP's to 1st nhs appointment

[Bijal]

Please may I have some advice. After the hospital appointment I'm really confused. At the hospital they did a really quick, basic eye sight test with my contact lenses in, then I took out my RGP's, then did a topographical, then the ophthalmologist put dye in the eyes and looked at my eyes through a machine for about 15seconds. Then the opthalmologist told me i do not have dry eyes and i only have suspect keratoconus, that only sometimes develops into keratoconus.The constant headaches were linked to a whiplash injury from January. He referred me to get fitted for soft contact lenses.

I feel I should completely believe the doctor because he is a doctor, but the optician I saw did so many tests and he did the tests twice over two days to be certain. I also have slight munson's which seems to only be KC related, I get shadowing when I look at the snellen chart, and the eye strain which spreads to all over head pain as the hours pass does not diminish with anti-inflammatories, paracetamol or codeine.

I also trust the optician. I'm going to call the optician today and share the ophthalmologists findings with him.

I really hope I don't have KC, but two different diagnosis are very confusing. Also for the last two years I have been saving and studying for the fast-track medicine entrance exam. I stopped studying when I found about KC, I've started again since I saw the doctor, but I just don't know what the right steps to take are now.

[GarethB]

There are many causes of the symptoms of dry eyes which include a dry gritty feeling and also runny eyes. Many people I know that have no vision problems complain of dry eyes, but that is down to working in an air conditioned office which lowers the humidity and also by excessive use of a computer by which I mean failing to take regular short breaks as outlined in the Display Screen Equipment Regulations which applies to anyone who uses a computer for more than 40% of their working day. Individualy or combined, these can lead to symptoms of dry eyes.

When dye is put in your eye, if it evenly covers the eye, tear production is fine, if it smears and looks like a greese smear then the tear film is breaking up. Wearing RGP lenses can also cause the tear film to break up easier than when you don't wear lenses so giving the dry eye symptoms which is why many of us use artificial tears.

Having suffered whiplash over 20 years ago, periodically I still feel the effects in by neck and no amount of pain killers or anti-inflamitarys work because it isn't a muscle problem, but a nerve that is being pinched in my neck. This causes me hadaches which start at the base of the skull and gradually creep forward to above my right eye at which point I get eye pain and when wearing RGP lenses this was acompanied by light sensitivity. The nerve damage is on the left of my neck and the only thing that helped was physiotherapy on my neck and I now have a set of exercises that I can use to manage the problem, so as soon as I feel the onset of the pain I use the exercises. The physiotherapist also advised me on posture in the workplace and at home which has helped reduce the number of instances of pain that I get.

Over the past four or so years I have been using soft lenses for KC and light sensitivity when I do get headaches from the trapped nerve nolonger occur as I haven't a hard piece of plasti irritating the ye too. I was unable to wear RGP lenses when I had a cold because of the eye irritation which is something else that is nolonger a problenm since changing to soft lenses, plus I see better and for longer to.

The last thing I would like to point out to everyone is that just because you have or are suspected of having KC is no reason to put a carear on hold. When I was diagnosed I kept studying for my A-levels despite having an appointment for my first graft just weeks after my last exam amd being registered partially sighted at the time. I passed and started a Microbiology degree the same year still registered partially sightedmissing all the practical assessments which I did in the second year when I could see out of one eye and just months after a graft in my second eye. When KC came back in one eye in 2004, I thought it would lead to an end in my carear but it forced my employers to give me other tasks which lead to a promotion and a new carear path which now see's me spending much of my time in mainland Europe. I have no idea if my carear would have been better if KC hadn't plaid a part, but on the whole despite two grafts, intolerance to RGP lenses, KC has only been a minor hiccup (which have seemed major at the time) and on the whole a positive influence on my life.

With a little bit of thought I am a firm believer that we can overcome our condition which is much easier with sites like this. The KC Group did exist I believe back in 1990, but before the internet and home computers were common place I believe the Group was only really known in Moorfields, London and I was up in the North East of the UK.

[Bijal]

Thank you, Gareth. We'll after another topographical, seems I'm back to moderate KC right eye, mild left.

Education definitely is the most important thing. I have developed KC at 28, so I already have a health-related profession, I'm just not sure if maybe a business,teaching... degree might be helpful if there is ever a time I need a non-patient facing-role. But I'm shadowing people in these roles, until I decide on a preference.

Your advice has got me to actually do the physiotherapist recommended exercises.

Thank you.