Keratoconus
What is Keratoconus?
It’s a progressive vision disorder affecting the thinning and irregularities of the cornea of the eyes. As the cornea thins out it starts to bulge outward into a cone shape. It results in distorted vision and significant vision impairment.
When does it start?
Keratoconus is generally first diagnosed at puberty and progresses through mid-30s. It can only be detected during a routine eye exam. The optometrist will measure the curvature and thickness of the cornea if they find any suspicious aspect of Keratoconus occurring in the patient.
What are the causes?
The causes are actually unknown, but it is known to be hereditary.
Keratoconus is associated with:
- eye allergies (chronic eye inflammation)
- excessive eye rubbing
- history of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Down’s syndrome, Retinitis Pigmentosa
What are the symptoms?
Often it affects both eyes and symptoms may differ in each.
- Mild blurry vision
- Distorted vision
- Sensitivity to glare and light
- Eye redness/swelling
What is the treatment plan?
There are several treatment plans that can be done depending on what your optometrist suggest is best. Specialty contact lenses are fitted by optometrists and surgical procedures would be done by an ophthalmologist.
Different treatment plans:
- Specialty contact lenses – Scleral lenses, soft Keratoconus lenses, RGP lenses
- Intacs – small curved device placed into the cornea to flatten the curvature
- Cross-linking – UV light and eye drops are used to strengthen the cornea by flattening it
- Corneal transplant – the diseased cornea is replaced by a healthy donor cornea
Powered by: 
