The cornea of our eye allows us to take in the picturesque beauty of the world around us. However, when that cornea becomes misshapen, damaged, or too thin, it points to keratoconus – an eye condition that makes vision and perception blurry and difficult.
In this blog, we are going to discuss keratoconus, its symptoms, and whether or not it can be effectively treated.
What Is Keratoconus?
To understand treatment options, let us first understand what keratoconus really is. It is an eye condition where the cornea becomes too weak and thin, causing the eyeball to bulge out into a cone-like shape. These changes in the cornea’s shape affect your vision, making it progressively blurred and distorted.
Keratoconus typically affects both eyes, but can sometimes affect one more than the other.
Keratoconus Symptoms
Some common symptoms of keratoconus include:
- Blurry or distorted vision
- Seeing double
- Light sensitivity
- Worsening night vision
- Frequent changes in glasses prescription
- Halos & glare
- Eye strain
Keratoconus Treatment Options
While keratoconus cannot be cured permanently, there are several corrective measures
(for every stage of keratoconus) that can effectively correct vision problems. These include:
Glasses & Contact Lenses
In the early stages, prescription glasses or contact lenses are used to correct mild vision problems.
- Rigid gas permeable lens (RGP): These are contact lenses made from durable plastics. These allow oxygen to pass through to the eye, are more long-lasting, and provide sharper vision than most soft contact lenses.
- Rose K: These are a type of RGP contact lenses designed specifically to offer superior vision correction for keratoconus.
- Scleral Lenses: These are large-diameter contact lenses that provide additional comfort. They are rigid, hold their shape, and are used to correct irregularities on the eye surface and cornea.
CAIRS Surgery
This is an advanced surgery that involves placing a corneal implant in the eye in order to restore vision for individuals with keratoconus.
C3R or Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL)
This technique uses UV light and vitamin B (riboflavin) eye drops to help strengthen the cornea’s collagen fibres. This helps prevent further thinning and bulging of the cornea and could even eliminate the need for a corneal transplant.
Intracorneal Ring Segments (INTACS)
In case your cornea needs reshaping, our eye specialist implants small, clear rings in your cornea to help flatten it and improve your vision.
Corneal Transplant (DALK/DSAEK)
For severe cases, a corneal transplant may be inevitable. In DALK, the outer layer of the cornea is replaced, whereas in DSAEK, only the damaged inner layers of the cornea are replaced.
When to Visit a Doctor?
Since keratoconus develops in stages, you might not be able to notice symptoms in the initial stages. However, if vision difficulties progress, you must see a specialist. It is crucial to seek medical intervention if you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms.
You can visit Sohana Hospital – the best eye hospital in Chandigarh – for early detection and the best treatment of keratoconus. The super-speciality hospital, established in 1995, has been serving patients with compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment for over 30 years. Known for being the pioneer in introducing the latest eye technologies from across the world in the region, the hospital is the preferred destination for eye patients from India and abroad.
