Specialty Contact Lens

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a vision disorder that occurs when the normally round cornea (the front part of the eye) becomes thin and irregular (cone) shaped. This abnormal shape prevents the light entering the eye from being focused correctly on the retina and causes distortion of vision.

In its earliest stages, keratoconus causes slight blurring and distortion of vision and increased sensitivity to glare and light. These symptoms usually appear in the late teens or late 20s. Keratoconus may progress for 10-20 years and each eye may be affected differently. As keratoconus progresses, the cornea bulges more and vision may become more distorted. In a small number of cases, the cornea will swell and cause a sudden and significant decrease in vision. The swelling occurs when the strain of the cornea’s protruding cone-like shape causes a tiny crack to develop. If this sudden swelling does occur, your doctor can prescribe eye drops for temporary relief, but there are no medicines that can prevent the disorder from progressing.

Eyeglasses or soft contact lenses may be used to correct the mild nearsightedness and astigmatism that is caused by the early stages for keratoconus. As the disorder progresses and cornea continues to thin and change shape, specialty hard contact lenses like rigid gas permeable contact lenses, scleral contact lenses, and hybrid contact lenses can be prescribed to correct vision. The contact lenses must be carefully fitted, and frequent checkups and lens changes may be needed to achieve and maintain good vision. Dr. Johnson will be happy to discuss the best option for you.

If you have more advanced keratoconus there are procedures that Dr. Johnson can talk to you about. Corneal collagen cross–linking is a procedure that slows the progression of keratoconus (Wang 2017). In a few cases, a corneal transplant is necessary. However, even after a corneal transplant, eyeglasses or contact lenses are often still needed to correct vision.

First FDA approved Myopia Control Contact lens

As children grow, their prescriptions may get stronger too. Fortunately, your child can benefit from new innovative technology to help slow down the progression of myopia (nearsightedness). MiSight 1 day contact lenses with technology that not only corrects nearsightedness they are the first FDA-approved soft contact lens to be proven to slow down the progression of myopia in children. When wearing Misight 1 day contact lens not only will your child experience clear vision but also have the freedom from glasses to perform sports and other activities they love.

This is important to catch early because worsening myopia can contribute to severe eye health complications and sight threatening conditions including retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, glaucoma, and early cataracts. Things that can affect your child’s risk of progression and risk of myopia include family history, limited time spent outdoors, prolonged time on digital devices like tablets and smartphones, and poor lighting.

This is more than just vision correction, the first step is scheduling a comprehensive eye exam so that the doctors at Boerne Vision Center can recommend the appropriate treatment.

ASSISTING PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINES, HEADACHES, BLEPHAROSPASM, & OTHER LIGHT-SENSITIVE CONDITIONS

Sometimes medications just don’t do the job to help with your headaches, especially if your headaches and migraines are triggered by light. Please let Boerne Vision Center know if you are having light sensitivity that traditional sunglasses are not helping with.  For example, the Orion Therapeutic is a Lavender colored tint that the University of Utah – Health Care has found to be useful in patients with migraine headaches, blepharospasm, light triggered seizures, CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome) and other light-sensitive/triggered conditions. The doctors at Boerne Vision Center can fit these patients with special contacts.

Orion Therapeutic

Orion Therapeutic was first described in a research project that took place in Birmingham, England in the early ’90s. In this study, children with migraine headaches wore Orion Therapeutic filtered spectacles. The researchers found that wearing the Orion Therapeutic filter improved the light sensitivity in these children, as well as lessened the frequency and severity of their migraine headaches. Since that time, Orion Therapeutic filtered lenses have been used to treat these and other conditions.

The researchers found that wearing the Orion Therapeutic filter improved the light sensitivity in these children, as well as lessened the frequency and severity of their migraine headaches. Since that time, Orion Therapeutic filtered lenses have been used to treat these and other conditions.

For more milder cases, we recommend trying the contact lens: ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology™. That’s right, this is new technology that was FDA approved this year to help with milder cases of light sensitivity.

THE CONTACT LENS THAT CHANGES WITH LIGHT

Boerne Vision Center has samples of ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™, which is a first-of-its-kind contact lens that goes beyond vision correction by adapting to changing light to provide all-day soothing vision. This contact lens automatically balances the amount of indoor and outdoor light entering the eye, including filtering blue light and blocking UV rays. ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ helps reduce the stressful impact that light can have on patients’ eyes. Ask us how to try them.

Prosthetic Contact Lenses in Post-Concussion Photophobia

Photophobia, or light sensitivity, is a common and debilitating symptom in post-concussion syndrome. Pain sensation to the head, face and eye is transmitted by the trigeminal pathway which gathers input from rhodopsin and melanopsin origins. The melanopsin pathway is related to circadian rhythm and pupillary light response with peak sensitivity at 479nm. Melanopsin sensitive cells have been identified in the retina and the iris making an argument for blocking light from both. Spectacles with specific tints and rose tint limit blue light and are used for photophobia in cone dystrophies, blepharospasm, and migraine headaches. Limitations to wearing sunglasses indoors include cosmetic/social issues and stray light behind the spectacle lens. The purpose of this study was to assess the benefits of wearing tinted prosthetic contact lenses instead of spectacles for photophobia.

If contact lenses are not an option for you, special tinted glasses may be helpful to post-concussion, post-stroke, and light sensitive patients.

Reference

Orion Vision Group; https://orionvisiongroup.com/therapeutic/

Faheemah Saeed, Darrell Schlange, Tina Najafi; Sustained benefits of Therapeutic Tinted Contact Lenses (CL) in patients with Albinism. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2013;54(15):2778.

Lynn D Greenspan; Prosthetic Contact Lenses in Post-Concussion Photophobia. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2015;56(7 ):3081.

https://www.jnjvisionpro.com/how-transitions-contact-lenses-enhance-visual-comfort

FDA press release: FDA clears first contact lens with light-adaptive technology https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm604263.htm, April 10th 2018.

JJV Data on File 2018. Definition of ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology™

JJV Data on File 2018: ACUVUE® OASYS Brand Contact Lenses with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology – Objective Clinical Claims

JJV Data on File 2018. Material Properties: ACUVUE® OASYS Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR® Plus, ACUVUE® OASYS with Transitions™ Light Intelligent Technology, and Other Reusable Contact Lenses

JJV Data on File 2018. Substantiation for Bothersome Light Need Prevalence.

β Helps protect against transmission of harmful UV radiation to the cornea and into the eye.

Reference: Some content is copyrighted information courtesy of the AOA.

Wang YM, et al. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2017;doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2017.04.033.

https://coopervision.com/contact-lenses/misight-1-day

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