What Is Keratoconus?
Vision problems are not only limited to nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Keratoconus is another eye condition that you should know about. Keratoconus causes double vision, halo effect when looking at streetlights, difficulty in reading street signs and more.
Tell Me More About Keratoconus
Keratoconus (often abbreviated and known as KC) is a thinning disorder of the cornea that causes distortion and reduced vision. As a corneal disease, it makes the cornea weak and gradually the cornea bulges outward.
Most often, the bulging at first presents itself as astigmatism but note that not all astigmatism is due to keratoconus. In mild or early stages of keratoconus, eyeglasses may correct the astigmatic vision. If it is already in the advanced stage, cornea scarring can occur and this disturbs vision. Keratoconus can occur in one or both eyes. 
Bulging of the cornea in keratoconic patient
How To Detect Keratoconus
Keratoconus can be difficult to detect, because it usually develops slowly. However, in some cases, it may progress rapidly. As the disease progresses, the cornea becomes more and more irregular in shape which means patients get progressive nearsightedness and irregular astigmatism.
Their vision will be distorted and blurred. Glare and lights become more disturbing. Keratoconic patients often have prescription changes every time they visit their eye care practitioner. The accurate detection is through a detailed eye assessment.
Causes Of Keratoconus
The actual causes are unknown. But keratoconus has been associated with some diseases like atopic diseases and excessive eye rubbing. Occasionally, it could also be due to genes.
Corneal Cross Linking Treatment for Keratoconus
Corneal Crosslinking is a non-invasive procedure used to strengthen the weak corneal structure in keratoconus. This method works by increasing the collagen crosslinking, which are the natural “anchors” within the cornea. These anchors are responsible for preventing the cornea from bulging out and becoming steep and irregular (which is the cause of keratoconus).
The graphic above shows the parallel corneal layers and the collagen crosslinking (red) which is increased after Corneal Crosslinking treatment.
The treatment, which takes about 1 hour per eye, is done by applying topical eye drops of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) to the cornea, followed by exposing the cornea to a specific amount of ultraviolet A (UVA) light. The activated riboflavin enhances corneal strength and integrity by increasing its collagen crosslinking.
Benefits Of Corneal Crosslinking
Corneal Crosslinking retards the progression of keratoconus. In fact, Corneal Crosslinking has been found both in laboratory and clinical studies to strengthen the cornea. In many cases, Corneal Crosslinking can reverse keratoconus and prevents the need for corneal transplant in the future.
Other Keratoconus Treatment Methods
For the mildest form of keratoconus, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses may help. But as the disease progresses and the cornea thins and becomes increasingly more irregular in shape, glasses or soft contacts can no longer provide adequate visual correction.
For moderate and advanced keratoconic patients, they can use rigid contact lenses. Patients will need penetrating keratoplasty (corneal transplant) when they can no longer tolerate rigid contact lenses or when rigid contact lenses cannot help them anymore.
Worried You May Have Keratoconus?
If you suspect that you may have keratoconus, contact us for an eye assessment.The earlier it is detected, the quicker you can start getting help and treatment. Treatment is a one-time procedure that’s completely safe and effective.
