How does your scleral lens feel ??

[DCRdryeye]

I've been using a custom made scleral lens in my left eye for one week. It needs further adjustments so I'm awaiting a new lens soon. It's an 18.5 mini-scleral and feels rather comfortable, but I still have a "menthol sensation," which is a raw, cold feeling, as if wind is blowing directly on the eye surface. Yesterday I used a vial of Thera tear gel in the scleral lens rather than saline, it made a slight improvement but the MENTHOL / COLD feeling was still present. I've had to continue wearing my moisture chamber glasses with the scleral lens on...which totally banishes the cold feeling. Good 'ol moisture chambers!!

My left eye has always been the worse, so we are just trying to get the best fit possible for the left eye and see how things go. Do any scleral lens wearer here have compression at the eyelid margin? I was told it takes one month to get used to the "feeling" of scleral lenses.

According to my optometrist, this current scleral lens has settled too far back onto my eye. I can feel my cornea touching the scleral lens when I look upwards and to both sides. So after taking a few measurements my optometrist is ordering a new scleral lens with more clearance at the front. This means I'll have more of a fluid reservoir and less pressure against the inner eye (which was becoming red after 2 hours use).

Since I'm only wearing the scleral lens in the left eye, I am more conscious of it compared to the right eye. The right eye is the "better" eye and so, without the moisture chambers I feel a very COLD left eye and a comfortable, normal right eye (at least it's comfortable for 20 minutes without moisture chambers, otherwise the drops go in!). With my last optometry check up I was told to turn up with the scleral lens in my left eye, and put it in 5 hours prior to the consultation. Whilst waiting, he got his assistant to place a trial lens in my right eye. Interestingly, as soon as the right lens went in, I could not feel the left lens at all!! the COLD feeling vanished and it was suddenly the "good" eye. This occured because the trial lens in the right eye felt very uncomfortable. So could an element of eye discomfort be "subjective", we can chose what we place our attention on? Dr. Emmett Miller calls this phenomena "Selective Awareness".

Anyway, I'd like to read how others describe their scleral lens to feel. Has anyone got the MENTHOL / COLD feeling when wearing sclerals?

[Rebecca Petris]

I don't really notice my (PROSE) sclerals - so long as I'm wearing both! If I only have one in, I notice it a lot. I know many people who have only one PROSE lens (only one bad eye) and some notice it more than others.

I am trying to think about how to answer the menthol sensation. Thing is, I've worn lenses so long - PROSE for 5.5 years, other lenses for 2-3 years before that - that I just don't really think about these things anymore, it's all just habit. I used to always use moisture chambers over the sclerals when outside or driving, though I've noticed in the last couple of years (also noting I'm in the pac NW, climate makes a difference) I do so much less frequently and whether that's because I need it less or I just have learned to tune out discomfort more, I couldn't even say. Not very helpful comments I'm afraid!

What do you mean by compression at the eyelid margin? I get scleral indentation from time to time but I'm not sure what compression you're referring to.

I didn't really have a 'break-in' period with sclerals but then I'd been wearing large corneal lenses previously and sensation-wise it can only improve from there so it's to be expected.

[PotatoCakes]

What is

scleral indentation

?

Can you "see" them through your lids?

[Hopeful2]

Scleral lenses sit on the sclera, the white part of your eye. Sometimes, when the scleral lenses are removed, you can see the outline of where the scleral lens was sitting. This is often referred to as scleral compression or indentation.

. . . My very patient doctor has given me yet another pair of sclerals to try. I have only worn them for a short time, so far. I am really hopeful that they will work. The vision they provide is excellent.

With previous trials I have not noticed any menthol sensations. If anything, the sensation of coolness was reduced with the sclerals in. I don't really feel the lenses on my eyes. What I have typically noticed has been the feeling of part of the edge of the sclerals on my lids. I do agree that when our attention is drawn to an area, we can end up experiencing a 'hyper awareness' of that area.

[shanku]

It has been almost a month now I started wearing the Boston Scleral lenses in both eyes....here is my experience so far:

a) right eye has awareness of it on the corners and rotates (probably fit is less than ideal)
b) for first couple of weeks on left eye vision used to get cloudy after couple of hours but of late noticing it rarely
c) get scleral indentation which normalizes by next day - doctor told me those are okay
d) on left eye - lower lid looks more retracted with the sclerals - again doctor told me not to worry
e) My left eye usually keeps having pain from a 2.5 month old corneal scarring - lenses to some extent reduce the pain and let's me continue my long hours computer job
f) both eyes keep burning without the lenses - lenses calm that down!
g) My both eyes feel drier with the lenses on...so, have to keep using eye drops on top of it - every hour or so. does anyone else experience that? Can it happen when the fit is less than ideal?
h) Recently, one day I wasn't not able do the eye drops every hour and later that evening my vision became blurry as the cornea probably got dried up. Using drops every hr for next couple of days improved the vision.
i) using these for 11-12 hrs/day with sodium chloride (Rx) instead of Unisol

Since I experience more dryness wearing these, I am afraid whether I'll be use these in the long run. Doctors suggested 3-6 months time to see if they are working.

[DCRdryeye]

Thank-you for your responses. Rebecca summed it up perfectly here: http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...ght=#post67323
It certainly seems to be a mixed bag when it comes to scleral lenses. So expectations should perhaps be "expect the unexpected". Getting one's hopes up too high and "expecting" them to be "the" solution to a long standing dry eye problem is setting one up for a major disappointment "if" they do not work out.

With the "compression of the eyelid margin", I mean that the upperlid rests on the scleral lens and I can feel the scleral lens pushing down too hard on the margin (lateral margin of the eyelid where the eyelashes start). At first I thought it was just the dryness of the eyelids causing "friction" on the scleral lens. However, when use my fingers to pull my upper eyelid away from the scleral lens...the sensation is gone! so it's definately the pressure of the scleral lens. I was told that "the scleral lens has to rest somewhere". I'm hoping this pressure sensation will be diminished with the next modification.

I can relate to shanku's point D "on left eye - lower lid looks more retracted with the sclerals - again doctor told me not to worry" ... with a prior scleral lens brand, my lower eyelid was getting caught under the scleral and made my eye look like it was too wide open. With the current scleral lens that's not so much of a problem because the margins of the lens is thinner and curved towards the eye more (so I've been told).

I'll persist with getting the perfect fit and learn to get comfortable with the sceral. When the other scleral comes in for my right eye, I'm sure I won't feel all the sensations of just wearing 'one' scleral lens.

[Hopeful2]

I wonder if what you are feeling on your lids is 'edge sensation'? When they make the lenses, it is a tricky balance between getting no compression, no edge sensation and 'snug' enough not to lose the saline. . . at least that is my understanding

[DCRdryeye]

Yes that does seem to make a lot of sense Hopeful2 I know I have a lot of compression since my optometrist said the lens has settled back too far onto the eye. When removing the lens there's a round red indentation where the lens was sitting. I'm hoping the problem will reduce with the new adjusted lens, it should be ready in one week.

[shanku]

I can relate to shanku's point D "on left eye - lower lid looks more retracted with the sclerals - again doctor told me not to worry" ... with a prior scleral lens brand, my lower eyelid was getting caught under the scleral and made my eye look like it was too wide open. With the current scleral lens that's not so much of a problem because the margins of the lens is thinner and curved towards the eye more (so I've been told).

I'll persist with getting the perfect fit and learn to get comfortable with the sceral. When the other scleral comes in for my right eye, I'm sure I won't feel all the sensations of just wearing 'one' scleral lens.

I am thinking this is not just cosmetic issue; Given that my eyelids are already retracted normally, that problem worsens with scleral on the eye and prevents me from having a complete blinking which is necessary.

[DCRdryeye]

My new scleral lens is in, but due to distance and work, I can't see my optometrist for another two weeks. I'll update later.

[DCRdryeye]

I'm using my second revised scleral lens. It was made with more clearance at the front (so it feels with more liquid) and is not as tight. However, it feels rather "grainy", especially when looking side to side. Does anyone else get a "grainy" feeling with their scleral lens? It's a feeling we all get with "dry eyes", there's no point using sclerals if it's going to reproduce the same feeling. Feels awful.

Also, the inner corner of my eye where the scleral covers gets very red after 4 hours use, will this resolve with time?

[Jade]

My scleral lens sometimes helps me, but usually my eye feels worse when I take it out, so it's a daily frustrating decision about whether or not to put it in.

[DCRdryeye]

Thanks Jade I'm only using one scleral lens in the left eye until the best fit possible is obtained. We are on the second scleral lens, it's definitely more comfortable than the first. My eye feels much better when I take the scleral lens out! I can wear it from 9am till 5pm, then the inner corner of my eye is too red to continue wearing.

[DCRdryeye]

Since scleral lenses don't completely cover all the sclera and often moisture chambers are still needed, I've found the use of "tearsagain" spray to be very useful. Whilst it doesn't go directly onto the eyeball, it provides moisture in and around the eyelids. This has decreased the "cold/menthol" feeling I was getting.

[shanku]

Good point! I am now using scleral lenses in combination with moisture chambers to tackle the increasing dryness of my eyes. I think scleral lenses in my case mostly helping my cornea but still not provide optimum comfort for the eye overall. I also have to use tear drops frequently on top the lenses.