Keratoconus

What is Keratoconus?

The cornea is a dome-shaped clear tissue at the front of the eye that directs rays of light into the eyeball. Keratoconus is when the cornea thins out and bulges like a cone. Changing the shape of the cornea brings light rays out of focus. As a result, your vision becomes blurry and distorted, making daily tasks like reading and driving difficult.

What causes keratoconus?

There is a connection between keratotonus and allergic reactions of the eye, as well as excessive rubbing of the eye. In some cases, hereditary background (passed down from parents). In about 10% of patients with keratoconus, one parent had it too.

Keratoconus often begins when people are in their late teens to early 20s. Over the next 10 to 20 years, the vision symptoms slowly get worse.

What are the symptoms of keratoconus?

Keratoconus often affects both eyes, and therefore the eyes see differently. Keratoconus can appear differently in each eye, and symptoms change over time.

At the early stage, keratoconus symptoms can include:

• Mild blurring of vision
• Slightly distorted vision, when straight lines look bent
• Increased sensitivity to light and glare
• Eye redness and swelling

Symptoms of keratoconus at a late stage:

• More blurry and distorted vision
• Increased myopia and astigmatism (the eye cannot focus as well as it should), so you may need new eyeglass prescriptions often
• Not being able to wear contact lenses. They may no longer fit properly and are uncomfortable.

Keratoconus usually takes several years to go from early to late stage, but sometimes the disease can get worse quickly. The cornea can suddenly swell and form a blurry scar, with the cornea becoming less smooth. As a result, vision grows even more distorted and blurry.

How is keratoconus diagnosed?

Keratoconus is diagnosed during a routine eye examination by an ophthalmologist. The doctor examines the cornea and measures its curve to detect changes in shape. In addition, a detailed image of the corneal surface can be built using a special computer.

How is keratoconus treated?

Treatment for keratoconus depends on the symptoms. When the symptoms are mild, your vision can be corrected with eyeglasses. Later, you may need special hard contact lenses to ensure proper focus of the eye.

When the symptoms grow worse, it is necessary to cross-link the cornea.

• Cross-linking. The cornea is strengthened with special ultraviolet rays and eye drops, as a result of which the cornea becomes flatter and less elastic, therefore it does not bulge.

Summary

Keratoconus is a thinning and bulging of the cornea like a cone, affecting vision.

Keratoconus treatment depends on your symptoms. If the symptoms are not very severe, glasses are sufficient to correct vision. If symptoms are severe, hard contact lenses, medications, or surgery can be used. In some cases, corneal transplantation is required.

With keratoconus, it is important to see your ophthalmologist regularly and check for eye and vision changes.

For questions regarding vision, be sure to consult an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist will make every effort to preserve or recover your vision.