Keratoconus is defined by corneal thinning and abnormalities on the cornea’s surface. The cornea is the transparent outer layer of your eye at the front. The middle layer of the cornea is the thickest and is largely formed of water, and a protein called collagen. Collagen strengthens and stretches the cornea, allowing it to maintain its regular, round shape. This healthy cornea concentrates light, allowing you to see well. Keratoconus causes vision loss by causing the cornea to thin and swell into an uneven cone shape.
Keratoconus often appears throughout adolescence and persists until the mid-30s. There is no way to forecast how fast or whether at all the disease will advance. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes, with one impacted more severely than the other.
What is the cause of keratoconus?
Keratoconus has been studied for decades, although it is still poorly understood. The exact aetiology of keratoconus is unknown. However, a predisposition to the condition is thought to exist at birth. The loss of collagen in the cornea is a regular feature of keratoconus. This might be due to an imbalance in the synthesis and breakdown of corneal tissue by corneal cells.
What are the keratoconus risk factors?
The following factors may enhance your chances of acquiring keratoconus:
- Genetics. Patients with a keratoconus family history or certain systemic illnesses like Down syndrome are at a greater risk.
- Chronic inflammation of the eyes. Constant inflammation caused by allergies or irritants can contribute to the breakdown of corneal tissue, leading to the development of keratoconus.
- Rubbing one’s eyes. Keratoconus is connected with chronic eye rubbing. It may potentially have a role in illness progression.
- Age. Keratoconus is frequently detected in adolescence. As the condition advances, young individuals with severe keratoconus are more likely to require surgical intervention.
What are the signs and symptoms of keratoconus?
Many keratoconus sufferers are entirely ignorant that they have the illness. The first sign is a slight blurring or gradually bad eyesight that is difficult to rectify.
Other keratoconus symptoms include:
- Halos and glare around lights
- Night vision problems
- Eye irritation or migraines caused by eye pain
- Sensitivity to strong light has increased.
- Sudden deterioration or clouding of eyesight
What is the treatment for keratoconus?
Initial Stages
In the early phases of keratoconus, glasses are used to address nearsightedness and astigmatism. However, as keratoconus develops, glasses no longer provide good vision, and patients must wear a contact lens, often a hard contact lens.
Intermediate Stages
Corneal collagen cross-linking can be used to treat progressive keratoconus. This one-time, in-office technique entails applying a vitamin B solution to the eye, which is subsequently activated by UV radiation for 30 minutes or less. The solution induces the formation of new collagen linkages, restoring and retaining part of the cornea’s strength and shape.
Advanced Stages
- Corneal Ring. A regular contact lens may become too unpleasant to use if you have severe keratoconus. Intacs are plastic, C-shaped rings implanted and used to flatten the cornea’s surface, allowing for better vision. They may also improve contact lens fit. The treatment takes around 15 minutes.
- Corneal transplantation. A donor cornea replaces the patient’s injured cornea in a corneal transplant. Corneal transplants are often performed as outpatient procedures and take around an hour to complete. The vision is frequently impaired for three to six months following the transplant, and medication is required to avoid transplant rejection. In virtually all situations, glasses or contact lenses are required to ensure the best possible eyesight following transplant surgery.
