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Call 843-573-9944 to find out more about Keratoconus symptoms and treatment options.

 

What is Keratoconus?

Keratoconus, an oftentimes hereditary progressive eye disease, occurs when the round cornea at the front of they eye thins and begins to bulge outward into a cone-like shape. The conical shape deflects the light that enters the eye away from the retina, causing distorted, blurred vision.
 
Keratoconus typically occurs in one or both eyes in the teens and early twenties and primarily affects males.

 

Symptoms and Signs of Keratoconus

 

Because of the progressive nature of the disease, Keratoconus can be difficult to detect.  As the shape of the cornea becomes more irregular, vision is increasingly impaired, causing nearsightedness and irregular astigmatism to develop. This usually results in blurred vision and often sensitivity to light. Keratoconic patients often experience frequent changes in their eyeglass prescription.

 

What Causes Keratoconus?

New research suggests the weakening of the corneal tissue that leads to keratoconus may be due to an imbalance of enzymes within the cornea. This imbalance makes the cornea more susceptible to oxidative damage from compounds called free radicals, causing it to weaken and bulge forward.

Risk factors for oxidative damage and weakening of the cornea include a genetic predisposition, explaining why keratoconus often affects more than one member of the same family.

Keratoconus is also associated with overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun, excessive eye rubbing, a history of poorly fitted contact lenses and chronic eye irritation.

 

Keratoconus Treatment

If you think that you may be experiencing signs of Keratoconus, you should consult with an experienced eye doctor immediately.

In the mildest form of keratoconus, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses may help. But as the disease progresses and the cornea thins and becomes increasingly more irregular in shape, glasses and soft contacts no longer provide adequate vision correction.

Treatments for moderate and advanced keratoconus include:
 

Scleral Lenses.  Scleral lenses are the best design available for keratoconus.  They are made of a gas permeable material, and are designed to gently rest on the sclera, the white part of the eye that surrounds the cornea.  Because they rest on the sclera, the middle part of the lens creates a dome over the cornea, where no touch is felt.  If you have keratoconus and are wearing small RGP's, you know how uncomfortable they can be because of the touch created on the cornea.  If you have keratoconus, please ask us about scleral lenses!

 

Corneal transplant. Some people with keratoconus can't tolerate a rigid contact lens, or they reach the point where contact lenses or other therapies no longer provide acceptable vision. In this case, a corneal transplant may be considered.  Even after a corneal transplant (also called a penetrating keratoplasty PK or PKP) patients likely need glasses or contact lenses to correct remaining vision impairment.

There are a number of other treatments for keratoconus, many of which are still in experimental stages. To learn more, schedule a consultation and an eye exam with a keratoconus specialist such as Dr. Michael Morabito.

Call 843-573-9944 to schedule an eye exam or consultation today!