Keratoconus is a progressive condition that causes the corneal (outer
clear window of the eye) to become misshapen, which distorts the
vision. This progressive disease continues to change the shape of the
cornea causing the patients quality of vision to become worse over time.
This condition can be caused by trauma, it can be passed down within
the family, some believe that even chronic eye rubbing can cause this
condition, however the exact cause is not written in stone.
Generally
many eye care professionals focus on a list of risk factors to pin
point those who maybe likely to develop this condition. Since this
condition can hit at any age many eye care professionals look for
symptoms within their patients. There are many symptoms of Keratoconus
and many of them overlap other conditions so telling your eye care
professional all your symptoms can help them rule out other conditions.
Some Symptoms of Keratoconus:
Frequent changes in prescriptions
Frequent eye rubbing
Tearing of the eyes
Blurred vision
Decreased night vision and/or halos around headlights
Increased blinking
Eye pain or heaviness
Frequent eye rubbing
Tearing of the eyes
Blurred vision
Decreased night vision and/or halos around headlights
Increased blinking
Eye pain or heaviness
Symptoms of Keratoconus can change as
the condition progresses. In the early stages it is likely that no
symptoms will be felt, however it can be detected by a standard eye
exam. Making sure you get regular checkups can help with early
detection. As the disease progresses you can have more increased
symptoms such as frequent need to rub the eyes, more frequent changes to
your prescriptions, and even increased dry eyes. Many people use over
the counter Artificial Tears to help gain relief of some symptoms.
Others don't notice the symptoms until the disease is much further
along. This can hinder the overall treatment of the condition.
Treatments:
There
are several improvements to the treatment of Keratoconus. In past years
many patients had limited treatments that included an invasive and
painful Corneal Transplant which caused long recovery of vision. Today
there are several treatments that help avoid the need for Cornea
Transplant to less than 5% of those afflicted with Keratoconus, these
treatments include Holcomb C3-R ® and INTACS.
Holcomb C3-R ® (Corneal Collagen Crosslinking):
This
treatment involves applying a special eye drop solution that contains a
natural vitamin, Riboflavin, along with other components to the eye,
which is than activated by Ultra Violet lights for 30 minutes. The UV
light activates the special eye drop solution to create stronger
collagen in the cornea. This is a non-invasive procedures and uses
natural vitamins already made by our bodies. The vitamin penetrates the
corneal fibers and over the course of a few months improves the strength
of the cornea, and stabilizes the vision of the patient. In combination
with other procedures like INTACS it can give the patient even more
overall quality of vision.
INTACS:
INTACS have been around
used for Keratoconus since 1999. These are tiny semi-circle implants
placed within the layers of the cornea to help support your cornea.
These implants help to reshape the cornea and reduce the area that is
bulging and causing distorted vision. This treatment has little pain,
and quick recovery allowing the patient to combined other procedure for
more improvements and faster results.