UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hi
merry christmas and a happy new year
i was told at the beginning of december that my optician couldn't help me with contacts and that i would have to go to the eye hospital to get lens fitted. he also told me that my glasses were ok and that i was fine to drive. my appointment for the hospital is 29th january. i've noticed this last week that my right eye seems to be different to normal. this was my worst eye, but i was told i had mild KC.
when i wrestled the tv control from my kids and looked to see what's on, i notice that the words aren't in focus and i seem to be squinting a lot. i've also tried to read books over the holidays, but again i either squint or hold the book at a funny angle and i also get a headache. i'm worried that my sight is changing and not sure what i should do
debby

Debbie

If I was you, id do the following

a) Every day or every other day, close each eye and focus on something to ensure you can read it. Do this with each eye closed by covering it with your hand......and also try and focus on the TV listing or something similar to when you notcied it

b) If it gets worse, possibly call the Eye Unit and ask them to bring the appt closer?

HTH

J

hiya
I know from reading threads on here that KC can change quickly, I also have noticed my sight is worse when I am tired and I also get eye strain and headaches more aswell.
If you are worried ring up and ask them to see you sooner.
Donna

My KC has a mind of its own and is fickle,one day i'll wake up with a nice clear,healthy eye,put a lens in and away we go,clear sight etc,the next i'll wake up with tired eyes as if ive had no sleep,theyre gunked up,so i clean them,in go the lenses and i can't see my hand in front of my face for about an hour,almost as if ive woken up with someone elses eyes,or put in someone elses lenses,then the next day,all is fine again.

I think with the thin structure of a KC cornea and the shape distortion,even the slightest,minute difference one day is accentuated,or at least that's how it feels.

About this time last year I was convince my KC had changed, lenses were uncomfortable, would not sit in the proper place and so on.

Optom tried loads of lenses and prior to Christmas 2005 was being asked to consider being registerd legally blind in my right eye. Insisted on a topography and this actually showed my KC had not changed although my vision had!

Not happy with this news I looked into what could cause my vision changes and concluded in my case it was hydration and dry eyes. Started to replace all the drinks I had with water, still have coffee but no more than two drops and drink at least 2 litres of water per day. Still enjoy wine and such like but drink more water before I indulge. This also reduces the hangover severity too. Also experimented with eye drops and found Systane by Alcon worked best. Initiall was using driops every two hours, but after a month I could starte reducing the frequency. By three months using drops only use them twice per day regardless of wearing lenses.

Lens wear went from 2 hours per day five days per week to 12 plus hours 7 days a week. I am still on the same lenses I got in October 2004 and actually see a line lower than I did originally.

As KC is often the cause of many of our problems we can be too hasty in blaming it. I would recomend getting a fresh topography done to see fi there have been any changes but still go along with dietry changes for the better and perhaps investigating dry eye too.

hi,
thanks for replying. i don't actually have any lens to use at the moment, i was told that my glasses would be ok.
i'm not drinking alcohol, as i'm taking tablets, but i know that i should drink more water and cut out the lemonade and tea. so the new years resolution is to lose weight and start to drink more water at home. i have a couple of glasses a day at work as it comes from the cooler, but don't like the taste of my tap water ( i know that's a excuse, but my kids pinch the bottled stuff. lol)
i can tell that something has changed with my right eye as it just doesn't seem right, slightly blurry or out of focus. i just make sure that if i drive, it's during daylight or it's somewhere i know very well. i have told my boss at work about having this condition and she contacted the occupational health department, but they haven't done anything, this was in september. i tried to get my union rep to contact them, they told her that they would contact me within 2 weeks and that's over a month ago now.
i guess that i will have to wait till my appointment to see what they suggest.

Nothing wrong with drinking loads of tea,especially Dilmah ceylon!

I enjoy tea, too, but for the sake of my vision I always make sure that I drink the recommended 2 litres of water: just water, not fizz and no caffeine.

This is in addition to tea, coffee, wine etc.

Andrew

Any tea drink, even herbal contain tannins and diaretics.

In moderation is OK which is a couple of cups, but any more and they start to act as a dieretic and we start to loose water so un doing the health benifits they have.

Definitly a case of too much of a good thing is bad for you.