Dry Eye Syndrome
Many people with KC find that they also suffer from Dry Eye Syndrome (DES). Although DES is generally manageable, it can often be exaserbated when contact lenses are being used, as contact rely on a constant tear film to be present underneath the lens for both good vision and comfort. The research literature currently suggests that omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in the form of polyunsaturated fats such as fish oil and flaxseed oil, may be helpful in treating DES.
For studies supporting the use of omega 3 and 6, as well as vitamin A, please see the following:
Creuzot C, Passemard M, Viau S, Joffre C, Pouliquen P, Elena PP, Bron A, Brignole F.
[Improvement of dry eye symptoms with polyunsaturated fatty acids]
J Fr Ophtalmol. 2006 Oct;29(8):868-73. French.
PMID: 17075501 [PubMed - in process]
Miljanovic B, Trivedi KA, Dana MR, Gilbard JP, Buring JE, Schaumberg DA.
Relation between dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and clinically diagnosed dry eye syndrome in women.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Oct;82(4):887-93.
PMID: 16210721 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Blades KJ, Patel S, Aidoo KE.
Oral antioxidant therapy for marginal dry eye.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2001 Jul;55(7):589-97.
PMID: 11464232 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Additionally, short term relief can be found using a number of over the counter artificial tear products, and DES specific eye drops, such as Systane. Many sufferrers find that they also get night-time and early morning relief by using a liquid gel product at night (Systane and Refresh both make excellent liquid gel products), as the liquid gel helps the eyes remain moist throughout the night when tear volume is reduced due to the lack of blinking.
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Glare/Photosensitivity
A common problem faced by people with keratoconus is photosensitivity, making exposure to sunlight quite uncomfortable. One of the explanations for this problem is that the irregular shape of the cornea causes sunlight to bounce around unpredictably inside the eye, rather than focusing it directly toward the retina. One of things that KC patients usually find invaluable is a good quality pair of polarized sunglasses. Reducing the amount of glare and sunlight, not only makes it much more comfortable to be in sunlight, but vision can be greatly improved by the reduction in glare.
Tips for Selecting Sunglasses :
Many KC patients find that wrap-around styles tend to work best from the standpoint of comfort, as they not only filter sunlight from directly ahead but also from the sides. Another benefit to wrap-around glasses is that they also tend to help block the wind, making contact lens wear more comfortable outdoors.
- Polarized sunglasses tend to work best in reducing glare, which often helps significantly improve vision.
- Consider buying more than one pair so that a backup is available in the event that you misplace your favorite pair. Many KC patients purchase a more expensive pair to keep in their cars while purchasing several lower priced sunglasses to keep at home, work, and other places they might be needed.
- Although there are many very high quality manufacturers, Maui Jim and Oakley are two sunglasses that many KC patients find particularly helpful.
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Limited Reading and Close-Up Vision
Keratoconus generally results in a high degree of astigmatism that must be corrected in order to have adequate distance vision. The problem is that when distance vision is corrected, close-up vision often suffers, making it difficult to read with a high astigmatism contact lens prescription. An eye doctor or contact lens fitter will assess close-up vision to determine the proper magnification needed for reading glasses.
Tips for Selecting Reading Glasses
Reading glasses containing an anti-reflective coating are often helpful, especially in situations where a rear light source is present, which may reflect off of regular reading glasses.
- If you tend to use a computer during part of the day, you should consider reading glasses that have been designed for computer use. Reading glasses designed for computer use are generally adjusted to be be most effective at the distance that most people maintain from a computer screen.
- Don't settle for the least expensive reading glasses solely based on price. Higher quality glasses are generally more expensive but can provide much greater comfort and make reading for extended periods much easier. Higher quality reading glasses will have features such as anti-reflective coatings, better optical clarity, thinner lenses, and. spring hinge frames.
- Consider purchasing multiple pairs of reading glasses and keeping them in multiple locations like your car, home, office, etc.
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Recreation/Sports
Sports and Recreational Activities Engaging in physically demanding activities produces specific challenges for weares of RGP contact lenses. One of the key problems is that of making sure that lenses do not fall out easily -- or more correctly, to keep lenses from getting lost if they do fall out. This can often be accomplished with sports goggles. Another problem arises in in dusty or windy conditions, such as while hiking. Dust can easily get caught under a contact lens, producing a rather painful experience until the lens can be removed and cleaned. For this problem, glacier sunglasses containing side panels can be used in daylight condition, while goggles can be used in low-light conditions.
Finally, eye drop products like Complete Blink and Clean can be used to quickly clear the lens while it is still in the eye so that it does not need to be removed in the event that dust becomes trapped underneath.
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