Keratoconus: Symptoms and Treatment
Keratoconus is an eye condition that results from the thinning and subsequent bulging out of the cornea. Although the main cause of this condition is still unknown, experts believe that environmental and genetic factors play a significant role. People begin to experience the effects of this condition from the age of 10, and it can continue to develop for many years after that. This condition is very common since experts believe that a tenth of the population has it.
Symptoms of Keratoconus
The signs and symptoms of the condition typically vary with the progression of the disease. The most common ones include:
- Blurred or Distorted Vision
The blurriness results from the cornea’s change in shape, affecting how light enters the eye. Thus, the images reaching the brain are often distorted and lack clarity. The blurriness and distortion can be present in both eyes, but it is often more serious on one eye than the other.
- High Sensitivity to Light and Glare
Everyone experiences glare and sensitivity to light when the light is too bright. This glare makes vision uncomfortable, compromising one’s ability to see. People with keratoconus experience heightened discomfort and sensitivity following exposure to light that is not so bright. This condition makes handling devices with bright screens a big problem.
- Sudden Clouding of Vision
People with the condition often feel as if they are looking through a foggy lens, which is the result of clouding. In some cases, the cloudiness can appear abruptly. Eventually, this condition makes it difficult for an individual to see properly, making them prone to accidents.
- Need to Change Eyeglass Prescriptions Often
Eye doctors prescribe glasses and other forms of eye correction equipment to help people see better. An individual’s vision should not change a lot over a short period. But if one requires the doctor to change the eyeglasses prescription often over a short period, then they have keratoconus.
For a proper and more comprehensive diagnosis, it is important to visit your eye doctor.
Treatment
A variety of treatment options are available, with the doctor choosing one depending on the condition’s speed of progression and its severity. Thus, the eye doctor will work towards slowing down the progression and improving vision.
Some of the approaches include:
Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking
Doctors often choose this treatment to slow down or stop the condition from getting worse. If the condition is detected early and this treatment is applied, a patient may never need cornea transplant surgery. The only drawback to this treatment is it neither improves nor reverses keratoconus.
Eye Glasses and Contact Lenses
These are some of the most common treatments for this condition. People with mild keratoconus hardly ever need further treatment following the acquisition of these lenses. Furthermore, an individual can have these for the long term if the condition stabilizes.
Cornea Transplant Surgery
Often, people who go through cornea transplant surgery have scarred corneas. The scarring can result from wearing contact lenses or the advancement of the condition.
For more on the symptoms and treatment of keratoconus, visit TMS Eyecare at our offices in Wichita or Arkansas City, Kansas. You can call (316) 669-4760, (316) 686-7212, or (620) 442-2577 today to schedule an appointment.
