Keratoconus
Keratoconus
is a condition in which the cornea, the
transparent, dome-shaped front surface of your eye, thins and bulges outward
into a cone shape over time.
Blurred vision and sensitivity to light and glare are common
symptoms of a cone-shaped cornea. Keratoconus affects both eyes in most cases,
albeit one eye is frequently affected more than the other. It usually affects
persons between the ages of ten and twenty-five. For ten years or longer, the
illness may proceed slowly.
You may be
able to fix vision difficulties with glasses or soft contact lenses in the
early stages of keratoconus. You may need rigid, gas permeable contact lenses
or other types of lenses, such as scleral lenses, in the future. You may need a
cornea transplant if your condition worsens to an advanced stage.
A new
procedure called corneal collagen cross-linking may help to reduce or stop the
progression of keratoconus, potentially avoiding the need for a cornea
transplant in the future. This treatment may be provided in addition to the
above-mentioned vision correction treatments.
Symptoms
Many
people with keratoconus are completely unaware that they have it. The first
sign is a small blurring of vision or gradually worsening eyesight that is
difficult to rectify.
- · Other
keratoconus symptoms include:
- · Around
lights, there is a lot of glare and halos.
- · Night
vision is difficult.
- · Irritation
of the eyes or headaches caused by eye pain
- · Sensitivity
to bright light has increased.
- · Vision
deterioration or clouding that occurs suddenly
Risks
- · Keratoconus
runs in the family.
- · Atopic
dermatitis is a type of allergic dermatitis.
- · a
vigorous rubbing of the eyes
- · Eyelids
that are slack
- · Disorders
of the connective tissue (eg, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome,
osteogenesis imperfecta)
- · Down
syndrome is a condition in which a person
- · Poor
vision due to congenital diseases (eg, Leber congenital optic neuropathy,
retinopathy of prematurity, aniridia)
- · Obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA) is a type of sleep apnea that
Diagnosis
The
majority of keratoconus patients are in their late teens or early twenties when
they first develop the illness, and the majority of transplants are performed
on patients between the ages of 20 and 45.
Keratoconus
is expected to affect one out of every 2000 people in Australia, with no
notable difference between males and females.
Cause
Researchers
are still trying to figure out why certain people acquire keratoconus. It
develops for no apparent reason in the majority of instances. Both
environmental and genetic variables are thought to play a role in its
development.
History of
the family. Some people with keratoconus are thought to have genes that
predispose them to developing the condition if they are exposed to certain
environmental variables.
Disorders
that lie under the surface Keratoconus can arise in the context of certain
underlying illnesses, but there is no clear link between the two. Down
syndrome, sleep apnea, asthma, several connective tissue abnormalities such as
Marfan syndrome and brittle cornea syndrome, and Leber congenital amaurosis are
among these conditions.
Risk
factors associated with the environment. Excessive eye rubbing and contact lens
wear are two environmental risk factors that may contribute to the development
of keratoconus.
Treatments
You'll
most likely begin with new glasses. New eyeglasses should clean things up if
you have a minor case. If not, your doctor may recommend contact lenses. The
most common choice is rigid gas permeable connections. Other procedures may be
required in the future to strengthen your cornea and improve your vision.
Corneal
collagen crosslinking, a therapy, may help to prevent the problem from
worsening. Alternatively, your doctor may place an Intacs ring under the
cornea's surface to flatten the cone shape and improve vision.
When
alternative therapies fail to improve your vision, you may need a cornea
transplant as a final resort. This is a very safe operation that succeeds in
more than 90% of the time. The core of your cornea will be removed by the
doctor.