Early detection and noninvasive treatment

Keratoconus occurs when your cornea thins and gradually protrudes outwards into a cone shape causing distorted vision. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes, though it often affects one eye more than the other. 

What are the symptoms of Keratoconus? 

1.Double vision when looking with just one eye

2.Objects both near and far that look blurry

3.Bright lights that appear to have halos around them 

4.The frequent need for changing Eyeglasses prescription 

Causes and risk factors for Keratoconus

Family history: If someone in your family has this condition, you have a greater chance of getting it yourself. 

Inflammation: Inflammation resulting from allergies, asthma, or atopic eye disease can weaken the tissue of the cornea.

Eye rubbing: Rubbing your eyes constantly over time can weaken the cornea. It can also make keratoconus progress faster if you already have it.

Race: People of Arabian ethnicity have a high rate of keratoconus (KC), according to a new study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Diagnosis 

Your doctor needs to measure the shape of your cornea. There are different ways, but the most common is called corneal topography. The doctor captures high resolution images of your cornea and checks it carefully. Children of parents with keratoconus should have one every year starting at age 10.

Treatment

Treatment of keratoconus focuses on stabilizing the disease and vision correction. This depends on the stage of the disease.

-Early Stages

Current treatment for keratoconus includes glasses in the earliest stages to treat nearsightedness and astigmatism. As keratoconus progresses and worsens, glasses are no longer capable of providing clear vision, and patients need to wear a contact lens, usually a hard contact lens.

-Intermediate Stages

Progressive keratoconus can be treated by corneal collagen cross-linking. This in-office procedure involves the application of a vitamin B solution to the eye, which is then activated by ultraviolet light for about 30 minutes or less. The solution causes the collagen bonds to strengthen the cornea.

-Advanced Stages

Corneal transplant. In a corneal transplant, a donor cornea replaces the patient’s damaged cornea. Corneal transplants are often performed on a Day-case basis and takes around an hour to complete.

Refractive Correction of Keratoconus

After Corneal Collagen Cross Linking strengthens the cornea, Implantable Contact Lens (ICL) technology is considered as the best and most effective procedure to correct the vision for patients with Keratoconus, it covers provides immediate results within few days of the procedure.

The Keratoconus Unit at Sharif Eye Centers is a recognized leader in the field of keratoconus management. In addition to our doctors extensive training and experience, excellent patient results derive from our meticulous attention to detail, highly trained technicians, state of the art equipment & technology, and careful screening and examination of our patients.