Keratoconus
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a condition that affects your cornea, the dome-shaped, clear part of your eye. Keratoconus causes the thinning of the cornea and bulging outward from the natural round shape of the cornea into a cone shape, resulting in blurry vision, light sensitivity, and other vision problems. Visual correction of keratoconus is usually optimized with contact lenses and not glasses. Our team of optometry professionals is happy to provide the Fort Worth community with proper treatment for this eye ailment.
Common
Symptoms
Worsening vision
Cloudy vision
Blurred vision
Distorted vision
Bright light sensitivity
Glare sensitivity
Problems with night driving
Frequent changes in lens prescriptions
Risk Factors
The exact cause of keratoconus isn’t entirely clear. However, 1 in 10 people with this eye condition has a parent with keratoconus. Complications that can develop from the progression of keratoconus include cornea scarring and worsening vision problems. You may eventually need a corneal transplantation if it’s left untreated. While anyone can develop keratoconus, certain factors increase your risk of having it. Examples include:
- Vigorous eye rubbing
- Family history of keratoconus
- Environmental factors causing hay fever or asthma
- Connective tissue disorders (Marfan Syndrome and Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome)
- Atopic dermatitis
Diagnosing
Keratoconus
To determine if you have keratoconus, your eye care professional will discuss your symptoms and medical history. Then they conduct a comprehensive eye exam, assess your vision, and may complete specialized tests to evaluate the shape of your cornea, also known as corneal topography mapping.
Treatments
Treatment of keratoconus depends on the severity of your condition. Your specialist might recommend:
Vision Correction Lenses
Some patients with keratoconus are able to achieve adequate vision with glasses. Other patients may require medically necessary contact lenses such as scleral or hybrid contact lenses.
Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking
Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is a procedure that is used to strengthen the bonds of collagen fibers in the cornea with ultraviolet (UV) light and riboflavin. This helps slow and or stop the progression of the cornea. Note, this is not a cure nor will it reverse the current effects of keratoconus.
Surgery
In very advanced keratoconus cases where eyeglasses and scleral contact lenses do not improve vision significantly, a corneal transplant may be required. After the transplant, some patients are able to see without eyeglasses or scleral contact lenses and others still require them.
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