UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello, I have a case of hydrops in my left eye. This came on overnight on christmas eve. I managed to get into the eye clinic at Windsor hospital on Wednesday where they told me what was wrong. I asked the doctor what the legal standing was about driving with only one good eye. His answer was that it was up to me but he was willing to sign me off work if I wanted. I have KC in both eyes but my left one is a lot worse than the right. My question is, Can anybody give me any advice on how I should proceed with driving as I am due back to work on Wednesday and I have a 50 mile trip each way in the dark at this time of year?
I thank you in advance for any advice.
Pat Chinnery

Hi Pat

Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear about the hydrop case on Xmas eve of all times!

Anyhow!...I can relate to your concern as I had EXACTLY the same thing.

I woke Dec 1 2003 put my Scleral in and it was all foggy! Thought to myself; this must be a bubble.....took it out cleaned the lens, same thing!...So thought SHITE! Hydrops....as I knew this was going to happen to my worse eye (at the time) sooner or later.

Anyhow, got down to Manchester Eye Hospital and then was seen and sent off home with Hydralate and Chloramphenical. My issue was that I was driving to work some 45 miles each way and thus this was not ideal. I could still see about 6/12 with the other eye (which hada corneal lens).

ANyway, I took off about a week, and worked from home, as I was told that the pain of Hydrops sets in at about the 3rd of 4th day...sometimes sooner...and in my case I had alot of pain....hard to describe but was bad enough for me. But others have had less severe hydrops where these was minimal pain!

Regarding driving; I knew I could still drive; in fact I was probably silly in that I even drove to the Eye Hospital on the morning!!...However, there is THINKING you can DRIVE and being LEGAL to drive.......bit of a grey area this is, as generally opthams and opticians follow a "I wont mention anything unless asked" approach which is good from a patient perspective.

If your vision is 6/9 or 6/12 in the other eye, and you feel you can drive, and you have no pain, than I would drive (WELL I DID LOL)...

But as always, if in doubt ask the Eye Clinic where you was seen.

Hope that helps!

Hello Pat,

Very sorry to read about your hydrops. I hope you're not in too much pain.

In terms of driving, as long as you meet the required standard in the OTHER eye (i.e. can read a number plate at the required distance) then you are legal to drive BUT, you must satisfy yourself/optician/DVLA (can't remember which, sorry) that you have adjusted to monocular vision first. There are time guidelines; and it's probably the adjustment period that could be problematical in your case.

That's interesting about the driving issue, I never had the courage to learn with monocular vision because I was always scared of the lens in my good eye going wobbly on the motorway. However, over xmas I was given a battle tank voucher! I'm going to drive a tank in April for an afternoon....wonder if I could take my driving test in a tank?
Jayuk I didn't realise there could be so much pain with hydrops [very sorry to learn that]. I had hydrops in both eyes, the 2nd was small, but the first was massive, it was close to perforation. I didn't have pain with that amazingly given how bad it was. I was initially admitted, and it took a long time for the fluid to drain away. I found light painful I wore dark glasses most of the time.

Hiya Louise

Yes, I didnt think it would be that painful; and whilst I did see others whom had severe pain this was few and far between...but sods law! I got the Hydrops with pain!..

I found it really bad...and impossible to describe..it was as if someone had filled the cornea up with Paint Removing Spirit and the spirit was being withdrawn and added throughout the day.......so a really bad dull sting...lol....thats some comparison..but thats what I had...along with not being able to look in sunlight..for about 3 hours when I woke......and mine took 9 months to recover!....so I think my case was probbaly more severe in terms of the tear.......and it generaly is not so bad from what I have heard......

Never want that pain again I tell ya!!

Oh poor you Jayuk, sods law indeed that you get the Hydrops with pain.
Mine took months to heal like yours and they photographed it every week, the medical photographer shared jokes with me about my next Vogue front cover. Wore dark glasses all the time, would forget to take them off in the evening and wonder why I walked into things!
Seriously though that kind of pain is not nice, these experiences are hard to weather.
I wonder how common Hydrops are.

The legal limit for reading a standard sized number plate is 20.5 meters.

Driving with monocular vision just like daily tasks with monocular vision can take time to get used too. Espesially as the 'blind spot' around the car increases.

Whe I found I would have to get used to driving with monocular vision, my local driving school were very helpful in allowing me to have some cheaper than normal lessons to aid my confidence. The Institute of Advanced Motorists were also very helpful and allowed me to re-take the IAM test free while I was and still am waiting to hear from the DVLA. The examiner for the IAM who trains the police pursute drivers did not realise I was clinically blind in my right eye until I answered his question he asked at the end of the test; "You have already passed the IAM test once, why are you taking it again?"

My friends find it funny that I was lacking in confidence driving with one eye after I used to race cars at a semi-professional level for many years.

Best be safe than sorry.

Louise, see how the tank driving goes and then get your provisional licence to learn to drive a car. If you enjoy it you will probably relax a bit more and the worry of a wobly lens may well diminish.

Regards

Gareth

I know I wouldn't be that brave Gareth, however, did you see the blind man driving around the track with Clarkson on Top Gear? What a man!

Pat, hello and welcome to the forum. I am sorry to read where you are, and while this isn't good at any year Christmas is a whole lot worse.

As for driving, i have only had one eye to be able to see, as the other has never seen anything, but i passed my test six years ago and still drive with only one eye. As others have said here, you just need to have 6/12 vision in ONE eye to be legal, but you do also need peripheral vision, being that you can see all angles so as not to cause an accident. This is why those with glaucoma have a problem, as that affects central vision.

You can get this checked with a test at a local optician. DVLA if contacted will provide you with details of the nearest one to you and pay for you to take the test. You have to look into a screen and follow a light around it, while pressing a button if you see a red light out of the corner of your eye. It isn't a bad test, but maybe to those used to seeing with two eyes it would be difficult. I guess i found it easy as i have had over twenty years experiecnce with only one eye so was used to it!

So i guess it would be best to check with your optometrist about your vision at present, and while they most probably won't contact DVLA, that you are required to yourself if you get any vision changes. They will then contact you with details of a visual test. This though doesn't help when you need to drive now and you have to wait!

Please take care whatever you decide to do, and know that most people on the road are probably only driving with one eye anyway! Hehe, do we dare get back on the road again!!!

Sweet X x X

I would love to know what Hydrops is? I have KC in both eyes, and RGP lens in both which hurt. eyes are always painful like bits of glass are in them. I hate driving at night as i get triple vision most of the time. I am almost at the point where I just carry on regardless as i don;t seem to be able to get any help via NHS etc. I have had soft lens, then permasoft now RGP. air con at work makes my eyes so sore. I have a great private guy who orders my lens privately for me, but i have to go to hospital for tests on vision etc
I am pretty sure my vision has recently deteriorated again quite a bit.
any help? cheers