UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

For your eyes to be significantly worse than they used to be when you take your RGP's out? I just got my first pair of RGP's a couple days ago, and when I take them out at night, I'm noticing that my vision is significantly more blurry than it used to be with no lenses in. I just went the store that I often go to wearing only my eyeglasses, and I could usually see well enough to shop, but this time I could barely see things...it was so blurry! This is a little scary so let me know if this is a normal thing...thanks

Its the same for me when I take my lenses out. I think its because you get such good vison with your lenses that you really notice how bad your vision is once they are removed. Your brain gets used to the good vision.
I cant do much without my lenses so wear them most of the time. I have only been out once without my lenses......never again! It was scary

I think that this is a common experience. I think it may be a combination of

• an optical effect (the lens no longer against the cornea so the cornea immediately begins to 'relax' into its deformed state) and
• a psychological effect (the immediate comparison is between sight with the lens which was fairly good and poorer sight without the lens).

As always, though; if you are worried about this speak to your specialist.

Andrew

Tim,

Extremely common. The cornea is very sensitive and although to us a contact lens weighs nothing it does put a small amount of pressure on the cornea so when you take your lens out, the cornea is a slightly different shape to before the lens went in. This is why when trying the soft lenses for KC you have to go at least 24 hours without a lens so the cornea is in its 'relaxed' state so to speak.

Plus your brain has spent hours seeing normally and not having to work out what the blurs mean so goes through a period of adjustment too.

That's good to know that its normal. So I am guessing if I were to go a whole day without wearing my lenses, then my eyes would go back to close to the vision I had with no correction before I got RGP's?

I've read some Bates Method ideas, where our eyes are constantly getting worse in our lives, because we are prescribed stronger and stronger prescriptions, our eyes get used to the stronger prescription, get worse, stronger prescription, etc. So I'm guessing with RGP's, my eyes are probably getting a little worse, but I think its worth it with the vision I am getting with them in. It's really the best it's been in years. I am dealing with stronger halo's and light glares, and extreme light sensitivity with the RGP's...but I'm guessing this is normal too.

I've always had a hard time believing the "your eyes are just seeing how bad they really are compared to your new lenses" idea, because I will go into a place where I used to see pretty well, and can't see things I used to be able to. But the idea about your cornea being relaxed when your lenses are in, and then having to go back and adjust to the blur once they are out seems more reasonable. I guess they would eventually go back to their uncorrected vision if you went long enough with no lenses.

Tim,

To be honest I diasagree with the idea that lenses/glasses make our eyes worse. OK there will be some cases where this is true.

Howveer I have been wearing contact lenses for 3 years now and my KC has stayed stable. I know many more people with stable KC too that have worn lenses for far longer than me.

Right, well maybe it is something like the stronger prescription we have (giving us the best vision), the more dramatic the change that occurs in our sight when we take the lenses out, hence the longer it takes for our eyes to adjust...just a guess