Disposable Contacts for Keratac's

[ScottFree]

Hi

I have recently found out that I have Keratoconus in my right eye. I have an appointment to see the specialist next month.

I have been to Specsavers recently to enquire about the use of contact lenses. Whether I would be suitable and what type of lenses where available to me. Having read various threads on this forum and other internet sites, I have treid to gather as much information about Keratoconus as possible. However, on seeing the optometrist I was surprised that she has offered me soft monthly disposable lenses. I have read that the best lenses to treat Keratoconus are RGP's.

The lenses she has offered are not continual wear, rather they are used daily for a month and then disposed of.

On researching I have read most people enjoy the freedom that daily disposable lenses offer. There seem to be far less complications regarding infections et cetera. If I am suitable for soft contact lenses, surely I am suitable for daily disposables.

I understand that having Keratoconus is going to limit the use of certain lenses, but does that mean Keratoconus sufferers are unable to have daily disposables? Does anyone here use daily disposable lenses?

Any more help or information you could provide regarding this would be appreciated.

Kindest Regards.

Scott.

[GarethB]

Hi Scott

Welcome to the forum.

Keratoconus does not necesarily limit the the lenses available to you. It is all dependant on how adavanced your KC is.

With this in mind I would advise waiting until you see the specialist next month. This is because if they advise lenses, you will be able to get them on the NHS with a lens charge of a bout £50 per eye. Most hospital eye units also have their own contact lens clinic which enables them to give a complete service and the sharing of information is easier.

Ford moderate cases of KC there are the Kerasoft lenses which work well.

My understanding of the regular soft lens is that they mold to the shape of the eye so offer no benefit for KC as such. There correction is basically as good as if you were to wear glasses.

Where the RGP lenses are used is in more advanced cases, the lens sits over the KC cone and tears fill the gap between the lens and the KC cone so giving the correct curvature and then the lens also has some extra sight correction too.

Many here have had trouble with highstreet opticians such as Specsavers, Vision Express, Boots etc in that there KC knowledge is non-existant. By the same token there are quite possibly branches of those name opticians that do have a knowledge of KC, just not yet posted here

Hope this helps.

[Sweet]

Hello there and welcome to the forum!

I have monthly disposable lenses which i use as a piggy back system with a RGP on the top as it was too painful to wear without the soft as comfort. The reason i got told as to why we don't usually get daily disposables is that they let less oxygen through so are worse for KC eyes.

It is good that you are starting with soft lenses, some people manage for a long time with these before they need to try something else.

Best of luck with it all and come back to let us know how you get on!

Sweet X x X

[ScottFree]

Thankyou, that was very helpful.

I look forward to meeting with the specialist in the next few weeks. I'm sure he will have greater insight into what would be the best solution for me. I should be called into Specsavers within the next few days for a fitting. I will update this thread and tell you how things go. I do hope I manage to get on with contact lenses. I pretty sure that I have Keratoconus due to allergies and itchy eyes, anyway thanks again.

Regards

Scott

[Andrew MacLean]

All the best, Scott.

Andrew

[Matthew_]

Scott,
Good Luck. There is no right or wrong way, its what works for you. If you can manage with soft lenses, that's an option.
I have had soft lenses for years but recently I found I had KC. The KC was probably there before and the soft lenses were working. But it was because soft lenses and glasses were no longer working that I discovered the problem. Now only rgp's will keep my unruly corneas in line. My high street optometrist was very helpful because it was they that suggested it could be KC and got me referred in the first place. Without them I would still be wondering what was going on! But as soon as I was diagnosed they pretty much handed me over to the NHS, they suggested I stop the lenses immediately as I would be much better off under the NHS system. I thought this was very honest as they were losing revenue as a result. So with that in mind, make the most of your consultation!
Good Luck

[John Smith]

Scott,

One thing not mentioned above is that daily disposable lenses tend to be thinner than other soft lenses.

This means that they are more droopy and conform even more to the irregular contours of your cornea... which is exactly the thing that KCers can't make use of - we need a nice, smooth, regular surface. Generally, the smoother the surface is, the harder the material.

[debby dennis]

hi,
i visited my local asda optician who spotted my condition and referred me to my doctor and then on to they eye hospital where i was diagnosed with KC.
i have monthly disposable contacts and have to visit asda's every couple of weeks to check on the fitting and also because i am allergic to some of the solutions and lenses that are used. i have bought 3 months supply of lenses, which i have used, but because they're still trying to get the correct lens for me, i haven't had to pay anything since ( and get free lens on trial) they are very helpful with any questions that i have, so it's worth asking when you go to specsavers, what their experience of KC is and whether you have to pay for the different types of lens used while they find the correct one for you.
good luck next month. debby

[ScottFree]

Ok thanks Debby I will do that. I'm still waitng to hear back from Specsavers. Hopefully I will be scheduled in for a fitting during the early part of next week.

[Andrew MacLean]

Scott

I was thinking; you might get an answer from the head of visual science at Glasgow Cal.

http://www.gcal.ac.uk/sls/Vision/eyeclinic/index.html

Andrew