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Learn MoreNews » Vision Sufferers Break Out with Soft Option
Vision Sufferers Break Out with Soft Option
Millions of people are affected by an eye condition so severe that it seriously limits their lives – unaware they can now be set free.
Up to 1 in 500 people are rendered partially sighted by a common group of conditions that affect the surface and shape of the front layer of the eye, the cornea. Distortion of the cornea, due to keratoconus , causes blurred vision with ghosting, haloes and even multiple images. It can be likened to constantly looking through a window covered in heavy rain.
These conditions cannot be corrected with spectacles or standard contact lenses, and laser refractive surgery will simply make it worse – many people only discover they may be prone to keratoconus and related conditions when they visit a laser clinic. Specialised surgical options such as implants, corneal grafts and most recently cross-linking can be an effective treatment, but are not always possible.
The simpler, non invasive and more accessible route is specialist contact lenses, usually rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Although GP lenses can often be very uncomfortable, removing them means stepping out of the sighted world into that of a partially sighted person; very stressful, and now unnecessary.
Living with such poor eyesight is difficult because it means having to make choices; for example, using ‘seeing time’ for work or for spending time with family. Keratoconus sufferer and previous GP lens wearer, Martin Cooper, provides an insight into his experiences. About his RGP lenses he comments “My eyes would often be ‘gungey’ and gritty and my lenses would become cloudy and dirty, which made them difficult to see with. I was taking them out up to 2 or 3 times a day to clean them and as the day went on the time before they were dirty again would decrease.”
Major new developments in materials and optics have now opened up the choices extensively, making the latest and most healthy (Silicone Hydrogel) contact lenses available for even the most complex irregular corneas. Lynn White, Optometrist and Keratoconus Consultant in Mayfair, London, UK says, “The latest advances in lens design mean that patients are now able to wear comfortable, healthy contact lenses all waking hours, achieving levels of vision they never thought possible. Every week I see patients in practice who have been struggling with their vision for years. Some have been unable to tolerate hard lenses at all and are amazed when they can see comfortably and for longer.”
After struggling with GP lenses for years, Martin Cooper’s optician booked him a hospital visit. There, after an afternoon of testing, he was informed that a corneal graft was the only way forward. A very nervous Martin was left to make the decision of whether or not to go ahead with invasive surgery. After completing research on the internet he realised up to 6 months recovery time would be needed; an option Martin felt he couldn’t consider as he is self employed.
Martin learned about Lynn White’s Mayfair practice during his internet research and after a few email exchanges he made an appointment to see her, as she had suggested a soft contact lens for keratoconus, KeraSoft®3. He goes on to say “The result of the test was a revelation, I could just about see the line above 20/20 vision on the chart, with both eyes, and Lynn was adamant that I didn’t need a graft. She also advised that had KeraSoft®3 not have been suitable, then many other choices were still available; including Soclears, SynergEyes, sclerals, etc, not to mention looking at CXL (Cross-Linking – to strengthen the cornea) or Intacs (implants to correct distortion)!” Martin continues, “Comfort is in another league and I no longer worry about ‘bad eye’ days. Previously it was quite common to have watering eyes...... In fact, I had a small rash on my face where my eyes had watered continually! This simply does not happen anymore and I feel almost normal! I’m getting up to 18 hours a day good, comfortable wear with good vision. The urge to rub my eyes when I remove the lenses has now all but gone! In addition, my eyes look brighter and more open – my friends are amazed at how much better my eyes look and, most importantly, I am no longer damaging my eyes on a daily basis. It’s fantastic to finally have an optician who truly understands Keratoconus.....you might even think Lynn had the condition herself from the insight she shows! Furthermore, my confidence has grown hugely. I knew I wasn’t seeing that well previously and it’s amazing how you con yourself into thinking things are ok when they are not. Your vision levels drop off very slowly and you get used to this and consider it normal – the huge jump into good vision is amazing! And finally, this is the first summer I’ve been able to play on the beach with my young daughter without the fear of sand getting in my eyes and causing me the pain and soreness it would have done previously – priceless!”
Lynn White, who has travelled the world helping people with keratoconus, adds, “It is very rewarding to restore someone’s sight, and in fact functional life, simply through fitting a pair of specialist soft contact lenses. I love my work, but patients love it even more. The challenge is now to make more people aware that the answer is now available.”