It may be a mouthful to pronounce, but keratoconus is actually a progressive disease that results in blurred vision and light sensitivity. There is no cure for keratoconus, but with early intervention and treatment, your eye doctor can manage and even slow the progression of the disease.

Keratoconus is fairly common, with about one in 2,000 people having it, according to Johns Hopkins. It usually begins in puberty and progresses into the mid-30s. Glasses are sufficient to treat early stages but as the disease progresses into late childhood and early adulthood, it may be necessary to have a corneal transplant for sight restoration.

Keratoconus: Defined

Normal corneas are round and dome-like, but in people with keratoconus, the cornea is very thin and takes on a cone-like shape. It can affect one eye or both, usually occurring in teens and young adults. Imbalanced enzymes in the eye are to blame for leaving the cornea vulnerable to damage. This is when keratoconus can develop. The condition is believed to be genetic, impacting multiple family members.

There may be other causes, as well, such as excessive sun exposure, poorly-fitting contact lenses, and chronic eye infections or inflammation.

Collagen allows the cornea to be flexible and strong so that it maintains its regular, round shape. A healthy cornea can focus light so that you are able to see clearly. In people with keratoconus, the cornea thins out and bulges into a cone shape, which leads to vision loss.

Risk Factors

From genetics to eye rubbing, there are many factors that could increase the risk of developing keratoconus:

  • Those with a family history of keratoconus or who suffer from certain systemic disorders (i.e., Down syndrome) are at a higher risk of getting keratoconus.
  • Eye rubbing. Chronic eye rubbing can lead to the development and progression of keratoconus.
  • Chronic eye inflammation. Constant inflammation due to irritants or allergies can destroy the corneal tissue and result in keratoconus.
  • Keratoconus is typically diagnosed in the teenage years. Young patients who have advanced keratoconus likely will need surgical intervention as the disease worsens.

Treatments

Treatment of keratoconus primarily focuses on correcting vision and will depend on the stage of the disease.

Early detection gives you the best chance for more conservative, less-invasive treatment options. Your eye doctor may prescribe custom-made lenses (gas-permeables or hybrid softs) that will neutralize the astigmatism while improving vision and stabilizing corneal changes.

In advanced cases, your eye doctor may recommend corneal cross linking (CXL), an intervention that will stabilize and even improve the cornea’s shape to allow for improved visual acuity and better contact lens fit.

In the most severe cases, a corneal transplant may be needed, which replaces the diseased corneal tissue with healthy donor tissue.

Here’s a more in-depth look at each stage.

Early Stages

In the earliest stages, glasses can be used to treat nearsightedness as well as astigmatism. As the disease progresses, glasses can’t sufficiently treat the problem and patients will then be fitted for a hard contact lens for clear vision. If rigid lenses become uncomfortable for you to wear, your doctor may recommend “piggybacking” a hard lens on top of a soft one.

Intermediate Stages

Progressive keratoconus is treated with corneal collagen cross-linking – an in-office procedure that applies a vitamin B solution to the eye that is activated by UV light. This allows new collagen bonds to form to preserve at least some of the cornea’s shape and strength.

The cornea won’t return to its normal state, but the procedure can prevent vision from worsening and could even improve vision.

Advanced Stages

  • Corneal ring: Implantable, plastic, C-shaped rings can be used to flatten the surface of the cornea and allow a better contact lens fit.
  • Corneal transplant: This can be done on an outpatient basis; vision may be blurry for three to six months afterwards and glasses or contact lenses will be needed to provide the clearest vision post-surgery.

Symptoms

Most people don’t even know they have keratoconus. The earliest symptom includes slight vision blurring or progressively-poor vision that can’t be easily corrected.

Other symptoms may include:

  • Glare and halos around lights
  • Headaches or rye irritation associated with eye pain
  • Difficulty seeing at night
  • Increased sensitivity to bright lights
  • Sudden vision worsening or clouding

A consultation with the experienced eye doctors at Broberg can let you know which stage you’re in and what your treatments are.

Book Your Keratoconus Consultation With Broberg Eye Care

To learn more about keratoconus treatments and what to expect, please schedule an appointment for a consultation at (512) 447-6096.