Tag: eye surgery

Why are my RGP Lenses so Uncomfortable is There Another Option?

November 10, 2015

cmg-wd

Keratoconus

dry eyes , Eye care , eye diseases , eye surgery , eye treatments , Keratoconus , Keratoconus advice , Keratoconus Inserts , Keratoconus syptoms , RGP

Contact lenses and eye glasses are usually the first treatment option recommended for Keratoconus. However, as Keratoconus progress contacts become very, especially RGP contact lenses (Rigid Gas Permeable lenses).

Increasingly doctors are now recommended Holcomb C3-R® (cornea collagen crosslinking) as the first treatment and contacts as a secondary treatment. Holcomb C3-R® helps to stabilize Keratoconus and will help keep you comfortable in lenses longer.

But, what do you do if your Keratoconus has progressed to the point that even after Holcomb C3-R®, RGP lenses are uncomfortable. There are several other specialty Keratoconus contact lens options.

These options include:

Hybrid Contact Lenses (SynergEyes)

What are Hybrid Lenses? They are a mixture of soft lenses and RGP lenses. They provide you with the comfort of a soft lens but the crisper vision of an RGP. Many report these provide a great edge to contact for all day wear without the harsh edge of the RGP lenses.

Scleral Lenses

What are Scleral Lenses? These are similar to RGP lenses only they are larger in diameter. They almost look like a bowl that you fit over your eye. The advantage is they do not rest on the cornea, so they provide increased comfort. In addition, prior to insertion the lenses are filled with saline, so basically all day your eye is bathed in saline, which can help keep your eyes moist and lessen the concerns about dry/irritated eyes.

RGP, Hybrid lenses, or Scleral contact lenses can provide the best option for improved clarity, comfort, and stability. However, the most important benefit to Keratoconus treatment today is the Holcomb C3-R® which will preserve your vision and stop the deterioration of your vision so you can maintain good vision and comfort in contacts and avoid the painful cornea transplant.

There are many benefits of using specialty Keratoconus contact lenses for the treatment of your Keratoconus. Take the time and get the facts. Ask your eye care professional about contact lenses for your Keratoconus Treatments today!

Watch Michael explain how he is now living life all over again thanks to specialty Keratoconus contact lenses.

3 Major Tips You Should Know When Diagnosed With Keratoconus & Diabetes

January 8, 2011

cmg-wd

Keratoconus

Diabetes , dry eyes , Eye care , eye surgery , Keratoconus , Symptoms , Tips , Treatments , Vision Institute

Protecting Your Vision One Step at a Time

Diabetes alone is a hard condition to live with but when you have a diagnosis of Keratoconus as well we often struggle even harder to avoid blindness, or additional loss of vision. Fortunately there have been several advancements in the treatment of Keratoconus to help you deal with the condition, and relieve the strain to facing two progressive diseases.

Taking care of your vision is an important step to prevent complications for diabetics. Ensuring that you are seeing your eye care doctor is an important part of eye care health but there are many other things you can do to take care of your eyes when you are dealing with diabetes. Below are few add tips to help you along the way to help with vision care and treatment of both Diabetes & Keratoconus.

Below are 3 Tips for Dealing with Keratoconus & Diabetes:

Finding the Right Doctor: Its not just about finding a doctor, it’s all about finding the right doctor. The truth is Keratoconus is a treatable condition. There have been major advancements in the treatment of Keratoconus over the past 5 years. Some treatments offer not only slowing the progression, but they have even been known to stop the progression in patients. Seeing the right doctor can mean the difference between continued progression of the condition itself or slowing/or stopping it all together. Finding an experienced doctor should be your first step.

Research: Even though we are not doctors we should still take a vested interest in our own health. Learning as much as we can about our conditions and how to manage them will give us a positive attitude when it comes to our treatment. Understanding all we can about our conditions can help us understand the treatment part of our recovery. Just as learning more about the insulin you take and why you take it can help you understand the things you maybe doing that need to be changed to improve your treatment of type 2 Diabetes. This way you can assist in your own treatments & help improve your health.

In addition being prepared to aid in your own treatment should be your first step. Understanding that medicine is something that we all have come to rely on full force, participating in your own path to good health will help you become more aware of your condition, symptoms, and treatment management. Researching your Keratoconus & Diabetes can help you improve your quality of vision as well.

Ensuring You are Tested: Another important part of your treatment are the examinations & testing. While most doctors are on top of things you must remember they are human too so it is also up to you to know when and what tests you need performed to ensure that things are being done properly. Most doctors encourage questions and reminders from their patients. If you are not comfortable asking you should find a doctor you are comfortable with. This is extremely important to your treatment plan. If you haven’t done a treatment plan with your doctor it is important that you start one. After all it is your health, and staying on top of things will improve your quality of life as well as your quality of vision.

The doctors are a very important part of your treatment but so are you! Ensuring that you assist in your own treatment plan will improve your chances of a successful recovery. If you want more information on treatment options for Keratoconus visit: WebMD.com

For more information about keratoconus visit the American Keratoconus Association

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Living with Keratoconus: Facing Diabetes & Keratoconus

November 9, 2010

cmg-wd

Keratoconus

Diabetes , eye diseases , eye doctor , eye surgery , Health , Keratoconus , Living with , Medication , Treatments

Keratoconus is a difficult condition to live with. Losing your eye sight can be disruptive and scarey to say the least. But when you already have diabetes it can give you more difficulty, and add great emotional stress to your already complicated health issues. So how do you live with both Keratoconus & Diabetes? Quite simply put, one day at a time!

Diabetes is caused by an over abundance of sugar left in the blood stream after we eat. And while generally our bodies are supposed to naturally clear out the amounts of sugar in the bloodstream on their own there are several things that can keep this from happening properly causing diabetes. The increase amount of sugar in the blood can slowly eat away at the tissue or organs throughout the body, and since our blood travels through all of these organs and areas of the body everything can be effected.

When the sugar levels are elevated in the bloodstream the blood vessels in the eyes, and various parts of the eye can be damaged. This can cause vision problems, glaucoma, and cataracts. If you have been diagnosed with Diabetes and Keratoconus not only can you have diabetic induced vision problems from damage to the blood vessels of the eyes, but the Keratoconus can cause the irregular shape of the cornea. While it is important to get your sugar levels under tight control to prevent further damage to your vision, it is equally important to visit your eye doctor at least 2 times a year for evaluation.

Reporting all vision changes to your eye care professional immediately is also important when dealing with diabetes. If you are diagnosed with Keratoconus remember that there are several options for treatment. Remember that each patient is unique in their situation and what will work best for them. Talking to your eye care professional about what will work best for you will give you an idea of your best options for treatment of Keratoconus. Know that you are not alone and there is hope for treatment of Keratoconus.

For more information about keratoconus visit the American Keratoconus Association

The Effects of Keratoconus

September 15, 2010

cmg-wd

Keratoconus

eye diseases , eye surgery

A diagnosis of Keratoconus can not only effect the person with the condition physically but it can effect them on an emotional level as well. Keratoconus often leads to progressive loss of vision. Slowly over time patients no long obtain functional vision in glasses and as the disease progresses the often lose the ability to wear contacts. Many patients feel they have gone blind. While the disease is generally progressive to the sight, it to can also have a crippling emotional impact effect as the patient starts to lose their sight. If the vision deteriorates too much a patient might have to undergo a cornea transplant.

Doctors have been working on treatments to fix the effects of Keratoconus for years, and new treatments have brought hope to those who are fighting the condition. These new treatments have helped thousands avoid the intensive cornea transplant and restored vision and hope for many.

Keratoconus creates a thinning in the cornea and over time can cause discomfort and loss of vision. While it takes time to create a complete loss of sight, the emotional and physical problems along the way are horrendous for those who are suffering. There have been other treatments for Keratoconus but were often painful and caused discomfort. However new advances offered to patients cause much less discomfort and less healing time.

When looking for treatments for Keratoconus however you must remember a few small things. Below you will find a couple of reminders that will serve you well when searching for the right doctor and treatments for Keratoconus.

Review all Treatment Options: While most doctors will give you an upfront choice of their one or two most relevant treatments don’t be afraid to ask them for ALL your options. This would include both new and old. Also ask them to explain the pro’s and con’s of each treatment.

Find a Doctor that Fits You: The truth is when it comes to your eye care, it is important that you doctor will discuss the treatment options to you in a way that you can understand it. There are few doctors out that will take the extra time their patients need to understand their condition, so don’t give up until you find the doctor who will take time to help you understand all your options.

Visit their clinic: Don’t be afraid to visit their clinic and see for yourself how they operate. Ask questions, talk to the staff, and find a place you are comfortable. This is your sight and it is up to you to take the time out and learn what is available and what works best for you.

There are great advancements to treatments in Keratoconus, a diagnosis today doesn’t mean the same as it did yesterday. There is hope for patients with Keratoconus, and your sight can be restored with the right treatment and doctor behind you.

Learn more at the American Academy of Opthamology.

For more information about keratoconus visit the American Keratoconus Association

What Caused Your Keratoconus?

February 17, 2009

cmg-wd

Keratoconus

cornea , eye doctor , eye surgery , Keratoconus , Keratoconus advice , ophthalmic

Genetics

The frequency of keratoconus in first degree relatives having the disease is much higher than the general population. Keratoconus can also be associated with other systemic syndromes such as Down’s syndrome.

The good news is that keratoconus is often not passed to children. If you have or may have children in the future, it’s only a 6% likelihood that any of your children will inherit keratoconus.

It makes sense to have your children have a baseline corneal topography between ages of 8-10 years old and have a topography every year. The subsequent topography maps can be compared to the first one to catch keratoconus early if it will be occurring. Early keratoconus can easily be “nipped in the bud” with a C3-R® treatment before it gets worse.

Quote:

“It seems that both environment and genetics play a role in Keratoconus”

-Says Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD.

Free Radicals

All corneas, like any tissues in the body, create harmful byproducts (free radicals) of cell metabolism (metabolism is a fancy word for the activities of the cell required for it to live and do it’s thing). These byproducts are similar to a car’s exhaust that results from the car being driven. Normal corneas, like any other body tissue, have a defense system in place to neutralize the free radicals so they don’t damage the collagen.

The collagen is the equivalent of steel beams that support a building. Damage to those beams causes the building to tilt, just like damage to the collagen causes the cornea to bulge. Think of those free radicals as attacking your collagen fibers in the cornea, trying to thin it and weaken it.

The problem with keratoconus is that anti-free radical system in the cornea (called anti-oxidants) are not properly working, so the free radicals are allowed to overwhelm and wreak havoc on the collagen fibers. They bombard the cornea like mortar fire blasting into a brick wall. The free radicals damage the cornea, thin it, and ultimately allow it to bulge and steepen out. This is how your vision got worse from keratoconus.

For more information about keratoconus visit the American Keratoconus Association