Specialty Contact Lenses Orlando & Kissimmee, FL

Diseases of the front of the eye are most often due to corneal diseases. The most common corneal conditions are acquired and caused by keratoconus, corneal ectasia (thinning), pellucid marginal degeneration, keratoglobus, cornea trauma (abrasion, ulcer), corneal transplants, radial keratotomy (RK) and others.

Due to the non-symmetrical shape of the cornea, when light touches the cornea it is focused at multiple points on the retina. This scattering of light causes an abundance of problems including: poor distance & near vision, fluctuating vision, glare and halos / haloes at night, poor night & dim vision, headaches, migraines, light sensitivity and more.

Specialty contact lenses, such as rigid gas permeable (rgp) or simply gas permable (gp) lenses uses fluid to correct the non-symmetrical cornea and provide very sharp vision! There are different forms of GP lenses, the 2 most common are: corneal and scleral.

Many of my patients prefer a scleral GP lens over a corneal GP lens for the comfort and stability of vision. Specialty contact lenses are custom made to each patient’s eyes and as such many patients average 2-3 lenses before we have a good fit.

The Science

Diagram of the corneal change that occurs with keratoconus

The picture on the left shows a normal cornea. The normal cornea has a round symmetrical curve. The picture on the right shows a keratoconus cornea. Keratoconus is a thinning and protruding of the cornea. The “cone” part prevents patients from obtaining “good” vision or near normal vision (20/40 or better). A keratoconus patient will also have poor or blind distance vision, fluctuating vision, poor near vision and severe glare and halos at night.

The most common finding I am seeing with patients is severe eye rubbing. This may be due to allergies, dry eye syndrome or eye strain. The common patient presents to my office complaining of blurry, itchy, dry, irritated and tired eyes.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus thinning. Thinning of other corneal conditions such as Pellucid’s marginal degeneration may also occur.

Light scattering is caused by the uneven cornea. This may also occur from any condition that affects the cornea, including but not limited to Pellucid’s marginal degeneration, cornea ectasia and scarring.

A scleral contact lens is an individualized rigid gas permeable contact lens that is designed to sit on the “white” part of your eye (sclera / conjunctiva). This allows the best comfort, with stable non-fluctuating vision. The fluid layer corrects the difference of even & uneven cornea, and the scleral lens acts as an artificial cornea.

If you would like to learn more about Specialty Contact Lenses and the difference it can make on your quality of life, call (407) 930-5566 to schedule a consultation.

Catch the signs early on

Parents who bring their child in for eye examination early in life will be able to help identify any vision issues. People may not realize that the eyes rely on muscles and the level of vision will change as the child ages. Since the child’s eyes are still in development at a young age, vision can change over time. We recommend that children, 5-years-old and up, have regular eye exams and screenings to ensure that their vision is aging properly. There are multiple signs that a child is having difficulty seeing that include:

Squinting to see at distances
Having difficulty seeing the board from the back of the classroom
Frequent headaches
Constantly rubbing the eyes
Extreme sensitivity to light
Poor focus and visual tracking
Chronic redness or tearing of the eyes
Difficulty reading
Sitting too close to the TV

It is important to note that these signs will not be nearly as noticeable or prominent as signs of other illnesses. A child may not even be aware of the vision issues right away, going for several months without mentioning it to the parents or teacher. If your child is displaying any of these signs, it is most likely not the sign of a medical emergency. Instead, it is a sign that your child needs vision assistance to see clearly and function in daily life. Seeking early treatment will allow us to correct the problem and prevent the child from having more vision issues in the future.

Recommended treatment of pediatric eye care

For children under the age of 10, glasses are the typical treatment option to help correct vision. While surgery is a possible form of treatment, it is only necessary in extreme cases. It is much more cost-efficient and healthy to use corrective lenses for regular vision issues instead of surgery when surgery is not necessary. For children who seem to be against wearing glasses, letting them pick out the frames can help. Parents can look for any plastic frames that are more durable than metal frames. While even younger children can be responsible with their glasses, accidents happen, especially with children. Children who are 10-years-old or older may be able to wear contact lenses if they can follow all of the necessary steps. Since one has to insert, remove and clean contact lenses on a regular basis, glasses are a preferable option until children are older. There are even forms of glasses lenses that are more durable than normal and can survive scratches, drops and damage. Another benefit of receiving pediatric eye care from a professional office, such as our office, is that our team is patient with children. We have the skills and understanding to treat a child’s eyes and keep them comfortable during the process. During the first consultation, one of our professionals will be able to determine the best treatment option for your child’s vision.