Re: What job do you do and how does keratoconus affect it?
Posted: Sun 30 Mar 2014 2:39 pm
I've been following this for a while to see if everyone that responds has a problem with computers and I think it highlights something I have put on this forum before and I have observed this on other health forums.
The data is very skewed to one side and I am sure this is due to the simple reason if you aren't having any problems with your particular condition, then why would you visit a support group web site?
If you are new to KC and on the steep learning curve the posts here can be very unnerving.
Therefore to add a little balance and having experienced much of what has been reported so far but only when I was wearing RGP lenses. I'd regularly get bad eye days requiring a day or more off work and eventually got to the point of only being able to wear RGP lenses for an hour per day and being in eye casualty at least once per month in addition to monthly eye checks at the hospital. This was because the problem came on within 4 years of wearing RGP lenses and by this time my transplants were 16 years old when I first went back to RGP's and 20 years old by the time I had to give them up.
After persevering with trying different lenses both hard and soft, for me the Kerasoft 3 lenses were the best which got better still when the Kerasoft IC was launched and now I am taking part in the clinical trial of another lens. Since going to these soft lenses I no longer suffer dry eyes or eye strain when using spread sheets all day. No glare at night, starburst and halos are a thing of the past which makes it a whole lot easier for doing fine work and much to the embarrassment of some of the R&D people I work with that have so called perfect normal vision, I am spotting defects with the naked eye they are having to use magnifiers to see. I've now been wearing soft lenses for nearly five years and in July (not long now) the transplants will be having a 25th anniversary celebration.
With these lenses I can wear them for far longer than any of my friends who wear disposable silicon hydrogel lenses for vanity reasons.
Admittedly one eye is better than the other but only by one line on the chart as the experimental lens design is refined.
So for my job using spread sheets, managing projects, looking at fine detail, driving, international travel, KC has absolutely no effect at all. plus when KC was causing a problem, my employer made reasonable adjustments which meant me trying a few things in work I'd never thought of before which lead to a promotion while I was having problems with KC and last year I had another promotion when KC wasn't causing any problems. So even when I felt KC was a problem, I don't think me employer saw it as such once we made some adjustments.
Although there will be some who find no lens will give them the clarity of vision they require, you will only know by trying as many of the different lenses as possible, something I know is easier said than done. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance which depending on the type of work you do, their understanding, home life, support of health care providers etc...... this can be easier for some than it is for others.
Unless I have missed it, I haven't seen anyone mention the Display Screen Equipment Regulations which is a piece of legislation that requires employers to ensure that employees who use display screen equipment (computers, electronic displays on monitoring equipment, basically anything with a display screen) for more than 33% of their normal working day must undergo an assessment to ensure the equipment provided is both fit for purpose and set up correctly for the person using the equipment. This includes the work station area so seating position, setup of a desk, lighting, software and hardware used, medical conditions etc.
Until my KC started to cause problems, I never had such an assessment, it was the occupational health nurse that brought this to my attention. Once completed I found it easier to use a computer and one thing that is advised I the regulation guidelines is that regular breaks should be taken and frequent short breaks are better than long breaks after long periods. I was also advised to keep a glass of water where possible on hand to ensure I drank regularly and stayed hydrated which actually resulted in more comfortable lens wear and having to get a refill does force you to take a short break at frequent intervals with no loss in productivity. Downside is until you get used to the new regime you need more frequent comfort breaks but this helps to ensure you don't stay too long at the screen. The other result of my assessment was a larger monitor which also helps and now there are government schemes to help fund any equipment that we may require.
The reason you get dry eyes and eye strain is because staring at a screen or reading a book for a long period results in a lower blink rate so your eyes aren't being flushed with tears so often, so eye drops help but need to be used in conjunction with taking regular brakes to help prevent this reduction in blink rate.
Anyone else find that KC has no negative impact on work?
The data is very skewed to one side and I am sure this is due to the simple reason if you aren't having any problems with your particular condition, then why would you visit a support group web site?
If you are new to KC and on the steep learning curve the posts here can be very unnerving.
Therefore to add a little balance and having experienced much of what has been reported so far but only when I was wearing RGP lenses. I'd regularly get bad eye days requiring a day or more off work and eventually got to the point of only being able to wear RGP lenses for an hour per day and being in eye casualty at least once per month in addition to monthly eye checks at the hospital. This was because the problem came on within 4 years of wearing RGP lenses and by this time my transplants were 16 years old when I first went back to RGP's and 20 years old by the time I had to give them up.
After persevering with trying different lenses both hard and soft, for me the Kerasoft 3 lenses were the best which got better still when the Kerasoft IC was launched and now I am taking part in the clinical trial of another lens. Since going to these soft lenses I no longer suffer dry eyes or eye strain when using spread sheets all day. No glare at night, starburst and halos are a thing of the past which makes it a whole lot easier for doing fine work and much to the embarrassment of some of the R&D people I work with that have so called perfect normal vision, I am spotting defects with the naked eye they are having to use magnifiers to see. I've now been wearing soft lenses for nearly five years and in July (not long now) the transplants will be having a 25th anniversary celebration.
With these lenses I can wear them for far longer than any of my friends who wear disposable silicon hydrogel lenses for vanity reasons.
Admittedly one eye is better than the other but only by one line on the chart as the experimental lens design is refined.
So for my job using spread sheets, managing projects, looking at fine detail, driving, international travel, KC has absolutely no effect at all. plus when KC was causing a problem, my employer made reasonable adjustments which meant me trying a few things in work I'd never thought of before which lead to a promotion while I was having problems with KC and last year I had another promotion when KC wasn't causing any problems. So even when I felt KC was a problem, I don't think me employer saw it as such once we made some adjustments.
Although there will be some who find no lens will give them the clarity of vision they require, you will only know by trying as many of the different lenses as possible, something I know is easier said than done. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance which depending on the type of work you do, their understanding, home life, support of health care providers etc...... this can be easier for some than it is for others.
Unless I have missed it, I haven't seen anyone mention the Display Screen Equipment Regulations which is a piece of legislation that requires employers to ensure that employees who use display screen equipment (computers, electronic displays on monitoring equipment, basically anything with a display screen) for more than 33% of their normal working day must undergo an assessment to ensure the equipment provided is both fit for purpose and set up correctly for the person using the equipment. This includes the work station area so seating position, setup of a desk, lighting, software and hardware used, medical conditions etc.
Until my KC started to cause problems, I never had such an assessment, it was the occupational health nurse that brought this to my attention. Once completed I found it easier to use a computer and one thing that is advised I the regulation guidelines is that regular breaks should be taken and frequent short breaks are better than long breaks after long periods. I was also advised to keep a glass of water where possible on hand to ensure I drank regularly and stayed hydrated which actually resulted in more comfortable lens wear and having to get a refill does force you to take a short break at frequent intervals with no loss in productivity. Downside is until you get used to the new regime you need more frequent comfort breaks but this helps to ensure you don't stay too long at the screen. The other result of my assessment was a larger monitor which also helps and now there are government schemes to help fund any equipment that we may require.
The reason you get dry eyes and eye strain is because staring at a screen or reading a book for a long period results in a lower blink rate so your eyes aren't being flushed with tears so often, so eye drops help but need to be used in conjunction with taking regular brakes to help prevent this reduction in blink rate.
Anyone else find that KC has no negative impact on work?