Keratoconus
 Keratoconus is an uncommon condition in which the cornea (the clear front window of the eye) becomes thin and protrudes. Keratoconus literally means a cone shaped cornea. This abnormal shape can cause serious distorting of vision.
What causes Keratoconus?
Despite continuing research, the cause of keratoconus remains unknown. Although keratoconus is not considered an inherited disorder, the chance of a blood relative having keratoconus is thought to be as high as one in ten.
Vigorous eye rubbing, although not the cause of keratoconus, can contribute to the disease process. Therefore, patients with keratoconus should avoid rubbing their eyes.
What are the symptoms of Keratoconus?
Blurring and distortion of vision are the earliest symptoms of keratoconus. Symptoms usually appear in the late teens or early twenties. The disease will often progress slowly for ten to twenty years, and then stop. In the early stages, vision may be only slightly affected, causing glare, light sensitivity and irritation. Each eye may be affected differently. As the disease progresses and the cornea steepens and scars, and vision may become distorted.
A sudden decrease in vision can occur if the cornea swells. The cornea swells when the elastic part of the cornea develops a tiny crack, created by the strain of the cornea's protruded cone-like shape. The swelling may persist for weeks or months as the crack heals and is gradually replaced by scar tissue.
What is the treatment for Keratoconus?
Mild cases are successfully treated with glasses or specially designed contact lenses. When vision is no longer satisfactory with glasses or contact lenses, surgery, usually a corneal transplant is recommended. Other surgeries such as special heating of the cornea (thermokeratoplasty) or adding additional corneal tissue (epikeratophakia) can also be done.
If sudden corneal swelling occurs, your eye care professional may prescribe eye drops for temporary relief. However there are no medicines known which prevent progression of the disease.
If a corneal transplant is necessary for advanced keratoconus, vision usually improves. As in any eye surgery, complications such as transplant rejection, infection and loss of vision can occur, so results cannot be guaranteed.
|
Award-Winning Web Marketing and SEO Strategies