UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi

This is my first post.

I was diagnosed with KC at 17 (I'm now 23) and I have worn RGP lenses since 18, all day every day.

Today I put my lenses in as usual, came to work & then started experiencing really bad pain in my right eye. I could barely keep it open and it was watering really badly & very bloodshot. Tried putting in drops but didn't help.

I called my specialist, who very kindly told me to come straight in & had a look and said it is a small ulcer/wound on the centre of the cornea. I have had to take the right lens out and have antibiotics to use. So here I am at work with one lens struggling to read/send emails/do much!

I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem with ulcers. Apparently it will heal very quicky (1 or 2 days)...

Many Thanks

No personal experience, but I do know others who have experienced what you have.

Some back off the lens wear once the ulcer has healed to help guard against a return. To still achieve the lens wear needed to function normally, they alternate the eye they see out of.

For me, I often start with the rigt eye, come lunch lens out and have lunch. The afternoon is with the left eye corrected.

Takes time to get used to, but can be done.

Hope this helps.

Emma,

Hello there and welcome to the forum!

I am sorry to read where you are. Yes ulcers are a pain but if you catch them early which it sounds as if you have you should be ok. I have had quite a few caused by wearing a RGP lens so i know exactly where you are.

Use the antibiotics as they have told you as they can get infected and i would suggest using some lubrication with your lenses when you put them back in to try to stop this happening again. Systane is very good for this. I put it in before i put my lens in and it feels much more comfortable.

Make sure you get it looked at before you wear your lens again as you can make things much worse if it hasn't healed properly. But all said i have found that ulcers can heal quite well so i guess this is when time really does heal things!!

Take care, sweet

Emma Louise Fletcher

Welcome to the forum

I've had that! You can get the ulcer if your lens rubs against the surface of your cornea. They drops (probably an antibiotic) will helpo clar up any infection and the ulder will heal naturally.

The ulcer is a kind of lesion in the surface cells. These are replaced in the normal course of events, so so long as there is no scarring beneath the surface of your cornea you'll make a complete recovery!

May be your first posting, but it was a good one. glad to know you.

Andrew

Dear Andrew, Sweet & Gareth

Thank you so much for your quick reposes, they have really cheered me up today!

Its lovely to hear from people who also suffer from KC & to get your advice and comments about this. The general reaction seems to be, to my frustration of not being able to see.......why dont you put on your glasses. Oh the joy of it!

Anyway thanks again for the posts -

Emmax

|Some time ago somebody listed all sorts of responses to the suual, "why don't you just wear glasses" jibes. They were wonderful one-liners.

Can anybody remember who posted, and where or when?

Andrew

Hi Emma, hope your eye improves soon.. I can't cope with only one lens in at a time.

By the way, what is the cause of corneal ulcers?


Thanks

Main cause i think is when your lens rubs your cornea or a traumatic event, a hard lens. It can be healed really easily though normally and hopefully this will all be ok with Emma.

sweet

Andrew MacLean wrote:|Some time ago somebody listed all sorts of responses to the suual, "why don't you just wear glasses" jibes. They were wonderful one-liners.

Andrew,

Do you mean this post?

That's the one. I was pretty sure it had been knight

The thing to do is rehearse your responses and then church them out as and when