Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition in which the cornea, the clear front part of the eye, which is usually round, thins and bulges into a cone-like shape. This distortion affects the way light enters the eye, leading to vision problems. This often resulting in difficulties with everyday tasks such as driving and seeing clearly at night. Keratoconus typically begins in the late teenage years or early twenties, and its progression can vary from person to person.
Several treatment options, including contact lenses, can help manage symptoms and improve vision.
What Causes Keratoconus?
While the exact cause of keratoconus is unknown, it is believed to be inherited through families. It can be exacerbated by certain medical conditions, environmental factors, chronic eye rubbing, poorly fitted contact lenses, or eye trauma from injuries. While keratoconus generally affects both eyes, one eye may be more affected than the other.
Common Symptoms of Keratoconus
The symptoms of keratoconus can vary and may progress over time. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Blurred or distorted vision
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Halos or glare around lights
- Frequent changes in eyeglasses or contact lens prescription
- Eye strain and headaches
- Foreign body sensation in the eye
Early symptoms can often go unnoticed, which is why regular eye exams are crucial for early diagnosis and proper management under the care of our keratoconus specialists.
Treatment Options for Keratoconus
While keratoconus cannot be cured, we can provide various customized treatment options to help manage the condition and improve your vision. The treatment we recommend will depend on the severity of the disease and your specific vision and lifestyle needs. Eyeglasses may help in the very early stages, however, as the condition progresses, they will no longer be effective due to how irregular the shape of the cornea becomes.
The next step is to correct and manage keratoconus with custom contact lenses, or in more advanced cases, surgical procedures:
- Custom Contact Lenses: These can range from soft contact lenses to rigid gas permeable (RGP) hard lenses, piggyback lenses, hybrid or scleral lenses.
- Corneal Cross-Linking: This minimally invasive procedure is recommended for certain cases when keratoconus has reached a moderate stage. It helps to strengthen the cornea and may halt or slow disease progression to prevent further deterioration.
- Corneal Transplant Surgery: In advanced cases, a corneal transplant may be necessary to replace the damaged cornea with a donor cornea.
Managing Keratoconus and Long-Term Eye Care
For those with keratoconus, taking care of your eyes and preventing further damage to the cornea with certain lifestyle changes can help:
- Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes: This can further weaken the cornea and worsen the condition.
- Wear Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from UV rays to prevent more corneal damage.
- Get Regular Eye Exams: Attending checkups and contact lens follow up appointments is essential for monitoring the progression of keratoconus so our experienced eye doctors can adjust your treatment as needed.
FAQ: Common Questions About Keratoconus
Although the cause is unknown, keratoconus can be aggravated by a combination of genetic, environmental, and health-related factors, including allergies and frequent eye rubbing.
Common symptoms include blurry or distorted vision, halos around lights, light sensitivity, and frequent changes in prescription.
Treatment options include custom contact lenses, corneal cross-linking, and, in advanced cases, corneal transplant surgery.
There is no cure for keratoconus, but it can be managed with the appropriate treatments.
Avoid rubbing your eyes, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays, and get regular eye exams so our keratoconus specialists can monitor the condition.