Keratoconus

Overview

Your cornea, the transparent, dome-shaped front of your eye, gradually thins and begins to protrude outward into a cone form if you have keratoconus.

Blurred vision and possible light and glare sensitivity are caused by a cone-shaped cornea. Usually, keratoconus affects both eyes. One eye may be more affected than the other, though. People usually start to experience it between late teens and the ages of 30. The condition may worsen gradually for ten years or more.

You may be able to use glasses or soft contact lenses to correct vision issues if you have keratoconus in its early stages. You might eventually need to have scleral lenses or other rigid, gas-permeable contact lenses placed. Should things worsen, you might require a corneal transplant.

Corneal collagen cross-linking is a technique that may assist to stop or reduce the progression of keratoconus, potentially averting the need for a corneal transplant in the future. In addition to the previous vision correction treatments, this treatment may be provided.

Symptoms

As keratoconus worsens, its symptoms could also change. They consist of:

• Distorted or blurry vision.
• Seeing haloes surrounding intense light sources.
• A greater sensitivity to glare and bright light, which can make driving at night more difficult.
• The necessity for regular adjustments to prescriptions for eyeglasses.
• Sudden deterioration or clouding of the vision.

If your vision is fast getting poorer, consult an eye doctor. This could be the result of astigmatism, an uneven curvature of the eye. Regular eye checkups may also include a look for keratoconus signs by your eye doctor.

Causes

Although the exact etiology of keratoconus is unknown, environmental and genetic factors are suspected to play a role. One in ten persons who have keratoconus also have a parent who has the condition.

You often don’t have an illness or injury to your eyes that could cause keratoconus. Keratoconus patients frequently rub their eyes, which may hasten the condition’s progression.

Risk factors

Your risk of getting keratoconus may be raised by the following factors:

• Possessing a keratoconus family history.
• Aggressively rubbing the eyes
• Possessing certain medical diseases, such as asthma, hay fever, retinitis pigmentosa, Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and Marfan syndrome.