Keratoconus And Hard Or RGP Contact Lenses

By Ralph Goldsmith

Hard or Rigid Gas Permeable lenses are just one of the most common sorts of vision correction for individuals with Keratoconus. This post looks at what makes these lenses so effective and exactly what problems they could induce.

Keratoconus is a condition of the front transparent component of the eye which is the cornea. In a regular eye the cornea is smoothly rounded. In people with Keratoconus the cornea thins as well as distorts outwards into an irregular ‘cone’ shape.

This distortion of the eye outcomes in decreased vision as the light entering the eye may not be effectively focused onto the retina and also this causes obscuring and ‘ghosting’.

Spectacles might be valuable for very early or moderate instances however are of restricted use for advanced Keratoconus as they do not remedy the distortion of the eye. Also Hydrogel lenses (soft contact lenses) are of limited usage once the illness continues further than the light phase.

The moment the distortion comes to be much more pronounced and also irregular glasses can easily not be aligned effectively to work with the multiple focus points induced by the irregular shape. Hydrogel (soft) lenses are thin as well as shape to the same form as the cornea. Since the shape of the cornea is the problem this means they don’t repair the primary concern (although there are some thicker soft lenses that are greater at keeping their own design and as a result go someway to the benefits of RGP lenses).

RGP or Rigid Gas Permeable contact lenses are little lenses, usually slightly smaller sized in diameter than the colored part of your eye.

As the name advises they are rigid, they are additionally sometimes described as hard lenses.

Due to the fact that they are rigid they maintain their own shape when matched to the eye. This even indicates that they trap a layer of fluid (tears) between the area of the corneas as well as the contact lens.

The combination of your cornea, the fluid as well as the RGP lens forms a solitary refractive surface that is a bit like an artificial cornea. This artificial cornea has a regular form and also is able to refract light so that it can be focused correctly on the retina. Obscuring and ‘ghosting’ are removed, or at least diminished, and vision is greatly improved.

There are some downsides to these varieties of contact lenses.

Their rigid nature makes them less comfy than soft lenses. This can be as a result of stress on the cornea or as a result of the edge of the lens rubbing on the inner area of the eyelid.

They are even more vulnerable to soreness in dry or dusty conditions.

Where the curve of the cornea is really the lens balances on the eye with a big gap around the edge. Think of stabilizing a shallow dish on the end of a rugby ball. This can easily make the edge more prominent, which of course lessens the comfort level as well as make it much easier for the lens to be dislodged and also lost.

Despite these negative aspects most individuals with Keratoconus will definitely have good correction with RGP lenses as well as they are definitely worth persevering with.

If you are brand-new to them they may spend some time to get used to, as well as it could be required to ‘build up’ the time you use them over a number of weeks.

Of course RGPs aren’t the only choice and some other contact lens solutions can easily be used if RGPs don’t work for you. These feature Scleral lenses, Hybrid lenses as well as Piggyback solutions.

Vision Life is an organisation devoted to raising awareness of the eye condition Keratoconus and to helping people who’s lives have been impacted by the disease. Get a free information pack and newsletter at
http://whatiskeratoconus.com