The best keratoconus lenses are usually the ones your practitioner recommends for you. Here are five of the most common lenses for keratoconus some of which I have personally used and one that I still use to this day, every day.
Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contacts for those of us with keratoconus are usually not the choice of practitioners to restore our vision loss due to keratoconus.
The soft contact lens will take the shape of our already damaged cornea, thus limiting the ability of the lens to restore our blurry vision to crisp clear vision.
Ideally, we would prefer a lens that keeps its shape and replaces our damaged cornea with a rigid perfectly crafted lens.
Although this may be true, some of us in the early stages of keratoconus might benefit from the use of soft contact lenses. However, as we progress through stages and our cornea becomes more distorted, the soft contact lens will become less and less effective for our vision restoration.
Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses(RGP)
Rigid gas permeable lenses are more widely prescribed for keratoconus than soft contact lenses. RPG lenses are gas permeable, which means they allow oxygen to pass through the lens to allow our cornea to breathe.
This is a critical factor to maintain the health of our cornea while we are wearing our contact lenses.
I Have Worn RPG Lenses
These were the first type of contact lenses prescribed to me. My vision with the RGP was excellent, however, I had severe comfort issues with the RPG contact lenses.
In addition, because of the severity of my keratoconus, the lens on my right eye kept popping out. I was unable to continue wearing RPG contacts.
Soft lenses might be more comfortable, on the other hand, they don’t provide the visual clarity the RPG can offer.
Hybrid Contact Lenses
The hybrid contact lens offers clear crisp vision like RPG along with the comfort of the soft contact lens. Furthermore, they also allow oxygen to pass through the lens just like the RPG. As mentioned earlier, this helps to promote good cornea health.
The design of a hybrid contact lens tries to give the user the best of both worlds. The comfort of the soft contact lens with the visual clarity of the RPG.
Piggyback Contact Lens
Another option is the piggyback design. The piggyback includes a soft contact lens with the RPG on top. This design offers the vision and breathability of the RPG, while the soft contact lens acts as a cushion to add comfort.
Wearing this design does take some getting used to. However, it can be a good choice for some of us.
The Scleral Lens
The scleral lens for keratoconus is the benchmark for restoring our vision loss due to keratoconus. Scleral lenses provides crisp clear vision coupled with comfort and is highly customizable to fit each particular case.
This type pf lens masks our condition by replacing our damaged distorted cornea, with the shape of the perfect scleral lens for as long as we are wearing the lens.
It is larger in diameter than the previously mentioned lenses. It completely vaults over the cornea never touching it which adds to the comfort factor.
I Wear Scleral Contacts to This Day
I received my first pair of scleral contacts in August 2017 after going decades with poor vision. The scleral lens changed my life. As someone who has used two out of the five mentioned lenses, I can say the scleral lens has allowed me to do and try things that previously would not have been possible.
For example if you are active and play sports they are an excellent choice. Since getting my sclerals they have never popped out which includes staying in through a bike accident.
I have had keratoconus for 30 years and had a full corneal transplant done on my right eye. In my opinion, best option for vision restoration for keratoconus, I would tell you hands down, the scleral contact lens without a doubt.
I wear a Blanchard scleral lens on my left eye and a BostonSight lens on my right eye.
Key Takeaways
- We have several options.
- Not all are created equal.
- Depending on what stage of keratoconus we are in, some options will be less effective than others.
- The scleral contact lens for most of us will be the best choice.
- Ultimately you and your practitioner will decide on the best option.
To Summarize
The extent to how clear and crisp we can restore our vision too, and equally as important, how comfortable we will be when wearing our lenses, are key factors in choosing which is the best keratoconus lens for our particular situation.
If you or someone you know is suffering from vision loss due to keratoconus, talk to your practitioner about the scleral lens and other options available for vision restoration.