Do contact lenses improve keratoconus? Short answer, no. Contact lenses do not improve keratoconus. Despite this, the right contact lens can restore vision along with improving our quality of life.
Topics that will be covered in this article are:
Why Won’t Contact Lenses Improve Keratoconus
Why won’t contact lenses improve keratoconus? Firstly, at this time there is no cure for keratoconus. Secondly, keratoconus is a progressive disease.
For instance, once we are diagnosed with keratoconus the disease will progress therefore distorting our vision further.
At the same time, it’s important to note although keratoconus is progressive, we will not go blind. If diagnosed in the early stages of the disease we can, slow down or halt the progression of KC,with certain procedures such as cross-linking.
If we are diagnosed in the later stages or in cases where KC is aggressive, a cornea transplant might be necessary as in my case. Finally keratoconus is not reversible.
As mentioned, earlier our best scenario is early detection to slow down or halt the progression of keratoconus. In spite of this, the damage to the cornea is usually already extensive.
Contact Lenses Won’t Improve Keratoconus but can Restore our Vision
Improving keratoconus and improving or restoring our vision are two different objectives. In the case of improving keratoconus this would imply that we could reverse KC which is not possible.
On the other hand, restoring vision is possible with the aid of proper contact lenses.
Why Restoring Vision is Vital
Why is restoring our vision so vital? Living with blurred vision due to KC will impose some limitations on what we can do. How we process information, how we perceive our environment are all strongly linked to our vision.
For instance, a student will have a harder time processing and learning material with blurred distorted vision. Similarly, driving might become a freedom that is taken away from sufferers of KC, especially night driving with keratoconus.
As well as our career choice or our current career and overall quality of life with keratoconus might also be affected by the current state of our vision.
Mental State
Depression and keratoconus unfortunately, many times, go hand in hand. The uncertainty of our diagnosis, what the future will be and our increasingly reduced vision all add to the mental strain of KC. As a result, without restoring our vision, reaching our potential will be more difficult.
Restoring our vision will give us back our confidence to pursue things that we thought were otherwise out of our reach.
Best Contacts for Keratoconus
What kinds of contacts are best for keratoconus? Although every case is different the scleral contact lens for keratoconus is widely thought to be an excellent option for restoring vision.
Why Scleral Lenses
Firstly, is the comfort. Because of the larger diameter of the scleral contact lens, it does not rest on the sensitive cornea.
Instead the lens sits on sclera, the white part of the eye, hence the scleral contact lens. As a result, wearing the lens is much more tolerable.
Next, is the ability to customize the lens. As mentioned above, each case is different, each cornea is different. So our choice in lens must have the ability to be highly customizable from person to person, eye to eye.
Scleral Contact Lenses Don’t Fall Out
Due to the irregularities in our corneas as a result of keratoconus, smaller diameter contacts that sit on the smaller sensitive cornea, have a higher chance of falling out once inserted.
If we are in the advanced stages of KC when the cornea has a higher chance of being more misshapen, the chances of the contact being ejected from the eye is even greater.
In contrast, the scleral contact lens being of a larger diameter has a far less chance of falling out. I’ve worn scleral contact lenses since 2017 and have never had an occasion when they have popped out of my eye.
How Does the Scleral Contact Lens Work
The scleral contacts lens restores our vision by masking the distortion in our cornea. The lens achieves this by creating an artificial healthy refractive environment.
To put differently, the lens takes the place, for as long as we have the lens inserted, of our damaged cornea. The damaged cornea is replaced temporarily with the perfectly shaped scleral lens that our practitioner has customized to fit our specific parameters.
Fluid and Scleral Work Together
The scleral lens cannot restore our vision alone. In addition to the lens, before insertion of the contacts on our eyes, we first fill the bowl of the lens with a preservative free solution.
The solution aids in masking our damaged cornea by filling in all the imperfections on our cornea with liquid.
If we insert the lens without fluid there will be no improvement in our vision. We can say that we trick our brain into thinking we have a healthy cornea.
How the Scleral Contact Lens Changed my Life
Prior to getting fitted for my scleral lenses I had to give up the privilege of driving. My vision had become so blurred and distorted that driving at night under those circumstances I felt was not safe.
I could drive during the day however I would soon have to relinquish that privilege as well.
I recall trying to read the eye chart for an eye exam that was required for a position I was applying for and not being able to read any of the lines on the eye chart.
This was one of the lowest points of my life, and there have been a few. How will I support myself? Is this my future?
20/20 Vision
I went from blurred vision to 20/20 overnight. With my sclerals I can drive at night, drive in the day and read the eye chart. My ophthalmologist and my sclerals gave me back my sanity.
I now feel that I can aim a lot higher, try to live to my potential whatever that is. I believe that the scleral contact lens can have the same life changing effect on others as well.
I’ve come across many other KC sufferers who have never heard of sclerals. Who are unaware that there is something that can restore our vision thus raising our quality life.
To Summerize
Do contact lenses improve keratoconus? In the final analysis no they won’t. However, they can give us a window in time when our vision is restored and that is something. Actually it’s a gift.
So please, if you, or someone you know is suffering from KC and haven’t looked into sclerals, ask your ophthalmologist about the scleral contact lens.
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Discover More About Keratoconus
Don’t stop your journey here! Dive into a world of knowledge and resources that can empower you in managing keratoconus effectively.
Your vision for a clearer future starts with one click. For more in-depth information Here is a great article by Dr. Melissa Barnett, the Director of Optometry at the University of California, Davis. You can find it here if you’re interested
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