UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hi
have noticed recently that I seem to be struggling more to see properly. What concerns me is that i seem to be misjudging things more. I tend to have a death grip on banisters when going up and down stairs and I have just sliced my finger on the light switch in the kitchen. I tend to watch where my feet are going as well. I choose a sandwich at the shop pick it up and pay for it and then discover that i've picked up the wrong sandwich. Is it just me having "debby moments" or does everyone experience this? I've just had a new prescription for both glasses and my right contact lens, so it doesn't seem to differ which i wear.

Debbie
From a medical point of view I wouldn't like to suggest what might be causing your problems really, but it just could be possible that your new prescription for your glasses and lenses is not right.

With my KC I do find it very difficult to get across to optoms what I can and can't see clearly as often the ghosting or multiple imaging has quite an effect. As a result, since my cataract op a year ago I have been given contact lenses for my left eye in 3 different focal strengths - all of which have caused me problems not dissimilar to yours, like . Misjudging things, feeling drunk all the time (no, I hadn't been drinking!!) The focal strength or visual acuity in my left eye should be constant as the lens inside my eye is artificial.

It was only recently when my local optom tested my eyes rather more carefully that he came to the conclusion that for normal distance vision I didn't need any "value" at all in my lenses as the implanted lens did what it said on the box. I only need glasses (over my RGP of course to try to correct the KC distortion!) for reading. (Getting those right is another story!)

So, don't know if that helps, but it could be worth checking it out. The somewhat artificial environment in which our eyes are tested and found to be OK isn't all it's cracked up to be when you are out & about walking about in the street in a "real" environment!

Debby

This sort of thing can be caused by a change in prescription. The brain needs to relearn how far away things are and to balance the two eyes. Usually it settles down in a week or two.

If it persists, then its always wise advice to pop back to the prescriber and get them to check things out.

Lynn

Hi Debby-I'm really glad you posted this, because this is exactly how i have been feeling for the past while as my vision has decreased. I really have a hard time just looking at things, and I often misjudge distances, or things like that. It is a very disorienting feeling, and makes me feel very self conscious. I hope to get a better prescription soon that will help this. You're not alone Made me feel better to know I'm not either

Timtim

The thing with KC is that often one is is definitely worse than the other. This often leads to problems with your depth perception because you may suddenly be seeing things in 2 dimensions rather than in 3D, Thus tripping over or down steps, spilling drinks when pouring them, missing the table when putting things down.. all of this can be due to loss of depth perception. Its made worse simply because one eye will go worse quite quickly, relatively speaking, and the brain struggles to adapt.

Eventually, though, the brain DOES work it out and you adapt. Pretty scary while its settling though!

If you want to make other people understand, try getting them to pour something out into a narrow necked receptacle at arms length with one eye closed. That should make 'em think

Lynn

Yeah you are right Lynn. My left eye is much worse than my right eye, and I feel right eye dominant. Thats good to know that your brain will EVENTUALLY work it out (I have been dealing with it for a while now so I hope it does). I guess a better prescription would help this also right?

Yeah... if you can get better vision in the left, it will feel a good deal better!!!

Good luck!

Lynn

You know what else I've noticed lately? When things go by in front of me fairly fast, I can not follow them with my eyes. For example, if a car drives by, or a person walks right in front of me (close) at a fast pace. It's like my eyes can not stay fixed on the object moving. Probably another side effect of the difference in vision between my eyes

Yes..

since you can't judge distances, you can't track well either. To track accurately, your visual system needs to know how far away things are.

As I said, you will get used to it as your brain finds ways round it. One problem with KC though is that your vision can change fairly frequently,. thus making it difficult to adapt completely.

hi,
thanks for letting me know that i'm not alone or just having "debby moments". the optician that tested my eyes and prescribed stronger glasses was the same one that picked up the i had KC in the first place and reccommended that i took the new prescription with me to the eye hospital.
i've had the new glasses about a month now and they seem ok for a day or two then i tend to get eye ache over my worse eye. i also tend to have to look away if anything is moving too quickly, i though it was just me ( i also wear sunglasses at work and have just managed to get a lamp for my desk, so i'm not at the mercy of my colleague when she wants the light off)
i had a new lens come through the post from the hospital, which i put in for the first time on monday and had to take it out by lunchtime as it felt so uncomfortable. will try again this week, but i'm not due to go back to the hospital until september.