Hi everyone,

I’m almost 19 years old, and I’m about to visit an ophthalmologist for the first time. I’ve been diagnosed with keratoconus, and I have my test results (I’m not sure what the test is called, so please let me know if you can identify it).

I’d like to understand which stage of keratoconus I’m at and how severe it is. I’ve been told that I need corneal cross-linking (CXL) in my right eye, while I believe my left eye is stable.

I also have a few questions about the procedure and what to expect afterward:

- What are the possible complications, side effects, and long-term consequences of CXL?

- I cannot tolerate contact lenses of any kind, so I would prefer to avoid them completely. I even stopped using allergy eye drops because I couldn’t tolerate putting drops into my eyes.

- Given the stage of my keratoconus and the fact that I currently manage my daily life quite comfortably without glasses or contact lenses, would it be possible to rely on glasses alone after CXL?

- Would I still be able to function normally without any visual correction if my vision remains good enough?

- Finally, I spend a lot of time using my phone, gaming laptop, and tablet. I’m also concerned about protecting my eyes from radiation emitted by these devices. Is there anything I should know or do to protect my eyes, especially given my keratoconus?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have undergone CXL or have experience with keratoconus, especially those who cannot tolerate contact lenses.

Thank you!

The inner corner of my eyes are always itching whenever I taking out my scleral lenses they are so pitchy I don’t get why is that normal I just started wearing sclerals on August. For reference I am using clear care and lacripure saline