Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition where the dome-shaped cornea gradually becomes thin and bulges outward like a cone. This affects the cornea’s ability to focus light properly, leading to distorted or blurred vision. The condition can progress over time, making everyday activities like reading, driving, or seeing fine details increasingly difficult. Understanding this condition and its impact is crucial for early detection and effective management. With advancements in keratoconus treatment, patients can maintain their quality of life through proper care and timely intervention.
Keratoconus primarily affects the cornea’s structure, leading to irregular astigmatism and myopia (nearsightedness). As the cornea becomes thinner and more conical, it loses its ability to refract light evenly, resulting in vision problems. The condition usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood and can worsen over a span of 10-20 years. Corrective lenses may manage early stages, but advanced cases often require specialised treatments or surgical interventions as a cure for keratoconus. While the exact cause of keratoconus remains unclear, genetic and environmental factors are believed to play significant roles in its development.
Keratoconus is an eye condition that distorts the cornea’s shape, causing irregular astigmatism and myopia. This prevents light from focusing properly on the retina, leading to blurred, hazy, or double vision, increased glare, and difficulty seeing fine details, especially in low-light conditions. Early detection is essential for managing the progressive impact on keratoconus vision.
Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that develops slowly over time. As the cornea thins and bulges outward into a cone-like shape, its ability to properly focus light is impaired, leading to increasing vision problems. In the early stages, Keratoconus symptoms may be mild and can be easily mistaken for common refractive errors, but they tend to worsen as the disease progresses. Recognizing these early warning signs is crucial, as timely Keratoconus diagnosis and treatment can help slow progression, preserve vision, and improve overall quality of life. Common symptoms include:
Keratoconus signs tend to progress over time, making regular eye check-ups crucial for early detection and management.
The exact keratoconus causes remains unknown, but several factors are thought to contribute to its development:
Understanding these factors can help in the early diagnosis and tailored management of keratoconus.
Diagnosing keratoconus involves a series of specialised tests that assess the shape and structure of the cornea. The primary methods include:
These diagnostic techniques enable precise identification of keratoconus, allowing for a targeted treatment approach.
Like any medical condition, keratoconus and its treatments come with potential risks and side effects. Understanding these helps patients make informed decisions and manage the condition more effectively.
Risks of Developing Keratoconus
Oxidative Stress: Imbalance in protective enzymes may weaken corneal tissues, making them more vulnerable.
There are several effective treatment options available to manage keratoconus, depending on the severity of the condition and the individual needs of the patient:
Choosing the most suitable treatment for keratoconus depends on factors such as the severity of the condition and the patient’s specific visual requirements. Consulting with an eye care specialist is essential to determine the best approach tailored to individual needs.
Recent advancements in keratoconus management have introduced new techniques that show promising results:
While these emerging treatments offer innovative ways to manage keratoconus, they may not suit everyone. A detailed evaluation with an eye care professional is essential to determine the most effective treatment strategy for each individual.
In addition to keratoconus surgeries and medical treatments, there are lifestyle tips that can help individuals with keratoconus manage their condition. These include:
Incorporating these lifestyle tips into your daily routine can help you manage keratoconus and improve your overall eye health.
Centre For Sight is a leading choice for keratoconus treatment, offering specialised care focusing on patient well-being. Here’s what sets us apart:
Choosing Centre For Sight means receiving expert care in a supportive, technology-driven environment focused on the best possible outcome.
The first-line treatment for keratoconus often involves the use of specialty contact lenses, such as rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses or scleral lenses, to correct vision and improve comfort. Crosslinking must be done in progressive cases.
Keratoconus can be managed and its progression slowed, but it cannot be fully corrected.
Corneal transplant once is done, lasts lifelong if the body accepts the graft. However, in cases of graft rejection or failure, repeat surgeries may be required.
Yes. Keratoconus Treatment are successful. Certain medicines are prescribed to aid in the acceptance and survival of the graft.
The consulting ophthalmologist would determine whether you need a corneal transplant or not.
Yes, it is. It is a painful condition and needs urgent attention before it gets infected and forms a corneal ulcer.
Usually, corneal abrasion heals without any permanent damage, provided it is not infected.
There are various keratoconus treatment options available, depending on the severity of keratoconus. Starting from glasses and contact lenses, they go on to include C3R, INTACS or ring segments, DALK, combination therapy with ICL and PK for advanced cases.
Corneal transplantation is a surgery that includes the replacement of the defective cornea with a healthy cornea received by the eye donation. Eye donation in Delhi is simple as many institutions help you do this act of charity and kindness. Centre for Sight is also one of the places for eye donation in Delhi.
It is a sight-threatening condition that warrants timely treatment as it is known to progress with time.
Yes. Keratoconus patients can wear glasses to gain optimal vision.
Yes. Some instances of keratoconus may have a visual disability.
Keratoconus is a fairly common disease seen amongst the young population ageing below 30 years. It is relatively common in patients having allergies and who may be rubbing their eyes.
Contact lenses for keratoconus are designed to enhance the level of vision when you use them. If lenses are well adjusted and treated, they do not worsen the condition. Although unsuitable or dirty lenses can cause infection in the cornea.
The course of the keratoconus treatment can vary from patient to patient. With some patients, it can remain stable for years or indefinitely, while with some, it can progress rapidly or experience occasional exacerbations over a long and otherwise steady course. Most commonly, keratoconus progresses for a period of 10 to 20 years before it stabilizes usually by the third to fourth decade of life.
The main cause of keratoconus is believed to be a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors, such as eye rubbing and allergies.
The best treatment for keratoconus depends on the severity of the condition. Options include specialty contact lenses, corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), intracorneal ring segments (ICRS/INTACS), or corneal transplant surgery.
The eye bank arranges for donor corneal tissue. Patients may have to wait for the availability for a healthy donor cornea of the appropriate age and good quality for some time.
Corneal transplant does not cure glaucoma.
Corneal traumas in the form of abrasions occur. These abrasions may get infected and cause ulcers if not treated in time. You will feel pain, watering and associated redness. It is best not to self-medicate. Please contact your nearest eye specialist immediately.
Depending on the size of the abrasion, it may take 24-72 hours to heal.
Advanced keratoconus may reduce the vision to an extent where daily routine activities may become difficult.
No. It cannot be reversed. However, its progression can be halted.
Most patients undergoing Crosslinking (C3R or CXL) will usually develop stable keratoconus which should not progress in the normal course of events
Keratoconus cannot go away on its own. However, in the patients above 35-40 years of age, it may stabilize on its own
Yes, it does.
Laser surgery doesn’t correct keratoconus. Crosslinking (C3R or CXL) halts keratoconus progression. However, we can perform a limited PRK along with C3R to improve vision to the best extent possible as well as stabilize the disease process
Every child should undergo a comprehensive vision test around 3-4 years of age to ensure that both eyes are healthy, well-coordinated, and have a good vision. If there is a family history of keratoconus, then the parents should ensure that the child undergoes a specific eye exam around 8-9 years of age.
In any surgery, there is always a small risk involved. Likewise, in keratoconus corneal transplantation also, the complications are rare. The most common complication associated with it includes rejection of the corneal graft. Infection, glaucoma and astigmatism are some of the other complications involved with keratoconus corneal transplantation.
While there’s no permanent cure for keratoconus, its progression can be slowed or halted with treatments like corneal cross-linking and customised lenses.
Yes, with the proper treatment and management, many people with keratoconus can maintain a good quality of life and carry out daily activities without significant limitations.
The exact cause is unknown, but genetic factors, eye rubbing, and certain medical conditions are believed to contribute to the development of keratoconus.
The cost of keratoconus surgery can vary widely depending on the type of procedure, the severity of the condition, and the location of the treatment facility. However, Centre for Sight offers flexible payment plans for those looking for affordable options.
