UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi

I'm 34 and I was diagnosed with 'K' at around 18/19. Before that I wore soft contact lenses from around the age of 15 and continued to be able to wear them till my mid twenties. My vision then started to detiorate with contacts and I went through a couple of years experimenting with different lenses until it was too unbearable to wear them (soreness, itchy red eyes, poor vision etc.)

What is weird now is that my 'K' has stabalised for the last 5yrs despite 'still' not being able to tolerate contacts, I've been told that my 'K' is not severe enough for contacts to work for my eyes and that I am better suited to my glasses, in fact I get perfect vision from my glasses, but I hate wearing them.

So......is this me......my prescription is now stable and I am having eye checks once a year, will the 'remission' last d'you think? or does 'K' start to kick in again as you get older?

Nice being here btw.....

Catherine

Cazie wrote:What is weird now is that my 'K' has stabalised for the last 5yrs ...

One of the great things about KC is that you never know how it's going to develop. Many people talk about "plateaux" where it seems to stabilize for some time, maybe years, maybe forever in some cases, before getting worse. You just never know. The only rule of thumb I have heard is that if it is diagnosed late in life, like maybe over 40, chances are it will progress very slowly.

in fact I get perfect vision from my glasses, but I hate wearing them

I bet the overwhelming majority of KCers would prefer to be able to wear fashion accessories instead of lenses.
I hope you continue doing well !

Hi Catherine, and welcome to the forum!

I doubt very much if it's true that contact lenses could do nothing for you.

As Bruce hinted, your optician is probably telling you that there's no need for you to wear contacts. But as far as I understand it, there should not be a problem with you choosing to wear them. In general, KC vision is better through contacts than specs simply because of the distance between the lens and the eye.

Of course, it could be that your optician is not skilled (any more) in fitting RGP lenses... in which case, you may need to find a new optician!

Thanks John and Bruce........

Not sure about the glasses Bruce!, having 'started' with contacts and then going onto wearing glasses, the freedom of contacts is much greater.....certainly when it comes to physical acitivities and outdoor weather!! being a walker and a runner, I find glasses very much a pain in the neck!

John, I am seeing new optician tomorrow, my last one has left, so will be interesting to see what her opinion is. As far as the 'choice' of contacts, then no, I cannot see out of contacts at all........my vision is far to dangerous for the likes of driving etc and when they are in more than an hour or so, my eyes are red and sore, so I'm not paying to only wear contacts for an hour a day

Maybe tomorrow, I will get a new perspective and see if I can try and get back to contacts again.........

Thanks both, much appreciated.

Catherine x

...then I'm very glad that you're seeing a new optician. You should certainly see as well if not better in contacts than specs.

If you're having problems like that, then you have got the wrong contact lenses! Maybe just a different material is all you need!