Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease that is characterized by a thin cornea that has bulged out into a cone-like shape. The cone shape of the cornea causes light to be deflected as it enters the eye on its way to the retina causing distorted vision. Corneas are normally round in size, not cone-shaped. Some of the early symptoms of keratoconus are:

Nearsightedness
Astigmatism
Glare
Light sensitivity
Blurred vision

Over time, keratoconus may cause corneas to become very thin and steep causing severe vision loss. The symptoms of keratoconus usually begin to appear in the late teens and early twenties and may then progress for the next twenty or so years. Each eye may be affected differently.

Causes of Keratoconus

Though the exact cause of keratoconus is still uncertain, heredity is believed to be involved with this visual impairment. Research shows, also, that there is a link between a malfunction of eye enzymes and a chemical imbalance causing the cornea to become thin. Exposure to sunlight, rubbing the eyes, and wearing contact lenses that do not fit can all further the damage to the eyes.

Treatment of Keratoconus

If you have a mild case of keratoconus, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses may help, but when the disease has progressed and the cornea has become thinner and more irregular in shape, glasses and contact lenses will not work. When this happens, gas permeable contact lenses may be the preferred treatment option. These lenses are known as RGP (rigid gas permeable), and their rigid lenses can replace the cornea’s cone shape with a smooth uniform surface, thus improving vision.

There are several other specialized treatments for keratoconus including:

Hybrid contact lenses
Intacs
Boston Scleral Lens Prosthetic Device (BSLPD)
C3-R (corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin)
Corneal transplant

Corneal transplants are typically performed on patients who cannot tolerate contact lenses or in patients who have not responded to other treatment modalities.

If you would like to learn more about keratoconus or would like to schedule a comprehensive eye exam, please contact an experienced eye doctor near you today.