Keratoconus Glasses
Keratoconus glasses. Is there such a thing? In short, yes, maybe and sometimes. Using glasses to restore distorted vision as a result of keratoconus, might help some of us in early stages of our diagnosis or in cases where keratoconus is mild.
However, using glasses for keratoconus for the majority of us for the long term, will only help to restore our vision to a certain extent. In some cases, it might even make the issue more noticable.
In this article we will touch the topics of:
Can Keratoconus Patients Wear Glasses for Keratoconus
In the early stages of our diagnosis with keratoconus when the cornea thinning has not yet reached the advanced stage. Some of us will be able to use glasses to restore our vision.
Although this may be true, keratoconus is a progressive disease. To put it differently, as keratoconus progresses through the different stages, so too will our vision go through different stages. Each stage will distort our vision further.
Early Detection
Early detection of keratoconus will have a large role in determining to what degree glasses can restore our vision.
The earlier keratoconus is detected the earlier we can discuss treatments with our practitioner to try to slow down our stop the progression of keratoconus. There is no cure or treatment to reverse keratoconus.
If we are able to stop the progression in the early stages or even slow down keratoconus from progressing to the later stages, this is a huge win for us. In this scenario, glasses can be more effective then if we are diagnosed in the later stages of keratoconus.
As much as this is a great outcome for us, those of us with keratoconus who can perform at a high level simply with glasses, and without the addition of contacts for the rest of our diagnosis, is rare.
Glasses will not Work for the Majority of us
Why won’t spectacles for keratoconus work? Glasses do not work as well for those of us with High Order Aberrations(HOA) which unfortunately keratoconus causes.
High Order Aberrations (HOA)
There are over 60 types of HOA which keratoconus is one of. HOA are small imperfections in the cornea.
That is to say, there are dips and valleys in the corneas structure that can be a result of ocular misshapedness, traumatic injury, disease, complication as a result of surgery or a combination of the above mentioned.
Symptoms of HOA
- Double vision
- Contrast issues
- Starburst
- Halos
- Limited night vision
- Ghost images
- Smeared eyesight
- Glare
Low Order Aberrations (LOA)
Unlike high order aberrations that glasses cannot easily address, glasses can however easily restore vision to LOA sufferers. LOA make up about 85% of vision problems. They include:
- Myopia- Nearsightedness, cornea bulges out too far, eyesight is better closer to objects and distorts distance vision.
- Hyperopia- Opposite of myopia. Often called farsightedness. Shorter eyeballs and flatter cornea. Objects at a distance easier to see.
- Astigmatism- Cornea shaped like an american football. Hazy blurred vision at multiple distances. The majority of people have a degree of astigmatism.Can occur along with myopia and hyperopia.
Why Glasses will not Work
Glasses for keratoconus will not work on the majority of us due to HOA changing the way light passes through the eye as a result of the imperfections in our cornea.
In contrast to HOA, in LOA the entire eye is affected, in addition, the cornea does not have imperfections as in HOA.
For this reason, traditional vision restoration solutions like glasses, can correct problems shared by every cell in the eye as in LOA.
For example, glasses prescribed for nearsightedness put a powerful lens(glasses) on the entire eye. Increasing the focusing power of the entire organ that is the eye.
On the other hand, HOA as mentioned earlier, only affects a small part of the eye. A lens or solution for the entire eye will not address the problem.
Cost
The keratoconus glasses cost will be more costly than lenses to address low order aberrations due to the materials and expertise needed to fabricate the lens. Geographical location will also play a part in the overall cost.
For instance, where I am in Canada my glasses for keratoconus cost a little over $800.00. My insurance covered a portion of the cost.
My Experience
I’ve worn glasses most of my life starting from the age of seven. I’m now 52. I use my glasses in the home, usually at night, especially if I know I’m not going back outside or have no tasks that require eyes and focus.
I don’t drive with my glasses or go outside with just glasses. With my prescription I would break my ankle on the first sidewalk.
It would be safer without glasses to be honest. I’m much more dependent on my scleral contact lenses than on my glasses.
At the same time, having glasses, even with their limitations, do make many aspects of life easier.
To Summerize
Keratoconus glasses, is there such a thing? Yes. We can wear glasses for keratoconus with the understanding that there will be limitations on the level of vision restoration that can be achieved with glasses alone.
Our practitioner once again will play a large part on whether or not a prescription can be made for us.