Keratoconus
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What Is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a common eye disease that affects the shape of the cornea. The cornea is the transparent part that covers the front of your eye and resembles a dome. Keratoconus occurs when the shape of the cornea changes slowly, becoming more conical, which affects the refraction of light on the retina, leading to irregular and uneven reflections, thus affecting vision.
- What Are the Symptoms of Keratoconus?
- Changes in vision.
- Blurred vision.
- Sensitivity to light.
- Difficulty seeing distant objects.
- Halos in the field of vision.
Frequent and persistent need to change eyeglasses or contact lens prescriptions.
What Causes Keratoconus?
- There is no specific cause for keratoconus, but there are certain factors that may increase the likelihood of developing it, such as:
- Continuous eye rubbing.
- A family history of keratoconus.
Certain health issues, like asthma or eczema.
How Is Keratoconus Diagnosed?:
- The doctor will take a medical history and conduct a clinical examination, and may request additional procedures as needed, such as:
- Corneal imaging, which measures the size of the cornea and examines it through:
- Light refraction examination to determine the lens prescription needed for vision correction.
- Measuring the curvature of the cornea.
- Corneal imaging to identify affected areas.
Measuring corneal thickness.
What Are the Treatment Methods for Keratoconus?
- Treatment involves various procedures or as needed, and may include:
- Prescription eyeglasses
- Contact lenses, which come in two types:
- Soft contact lenses.
- Hard contact lenses.
- Surgery:
- Corneal collagen cross-linking, also known as corneal stabilization, involves exposing the cornea to ultraviolet light to increase its stiffness, preventing the progression of keratoconus.
- Intrastromal corneal ring segments, which exert pressure ina certain way to correct corneal steepening.
Keratoplasty, where the affected cornea is wholly or partially surgically removed and replaced with a healthy donor cornea.
What Are the Ways to Prevent Keratoconus?
There is no way to prevent keratoconus, but receiving appropriate treatment for allergies and asthma, and reducing eye rubbing, can reduce the risk of developing keratoconus.
- What Are the Complications of Keratoconus?
- In some cases, the cornea may swell rapidly, causing a sudden decrease in vision and corneal scarring.
- Advanced keratoconus can also cause corneal scarring, especially when the cone becomes more pronounced.
Scarred corneas worsen vision problems and may require corneal transplant surgery.
When Should You See a Doctor?
If you have any signs or symptoms indicative of keratoconus, or if you have any factors and causes that increase the risk of developing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a keratoconic cornea look like?
The cornea is conical, resembling the shape of a cone.
- I had a corneal transplant. What are the signs ofcorneal rejection, and when should I seek emergency care?
- Pain and redness in the eye.
- Changes in vision.
- The sensation of a foreign body in the eye.
- Sensitivity to light.
