Keratoconus:

Keratoconus actually means “cone-shaped cornea.” Keratoconus is defined as uncommon eye condition in which normally dome shape cornea thins and bulges outward like a cone. Cornea, the most vital part of eye is located in the central part of the front surface of the eye. Light penetrates into the eye throughcornea, which focuses the light rays,help us to see clearly. But due to Keratoconus, the structure of the cornea becomes like cone, resulting in distorted vision. Keratoconus affects many day to day activities like watching television, driving, typing on a computer, readingand etc. It may occur in one or both eyes and often begins during teenage or early 20s.
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What causes Keratoconus?

The exact root of Keratoconus is still not known. Several theories are built on research and its alliance with other circumstances. But none of the theory explains it all and it may be caused by the combination of several things.

However new research proposes that Keratoconus may occurs due to an imbalance of enzymes within the cornea.Due to this imbalance cornea becomes more susceptible to oxidative destruction from compound named as free radicals, causing it to weaken &bulge forward. It is also believed that the environmental, genetics and the endocrine system are involved in the occurrence of Keratoconus.

Keratoconus is also related witheye injuries such as excessive eye rubbing, history of wearing hard contact lenses, eye diseases like Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis, Retinitis Pigmentosa and Retinopathy of Prematurity, Systemic diseases such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Down Syndrome, Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and Osteogenesis Imperfecta and overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun.
SYMPTOMS:

The various symptoms of Keratoconus usually begin in late teenage or early 20s, but can start at anypoint of time. Generally both the eyes get affected by Keratoconus but the symptoms may differ in each eye. Blurred vision and regular changes in eye glass power are the initials symptoms of Keratoconus. Other signs of Keratoconus include:

Increased sensitivity to light
Difficultly in driving at night
Distortion of vision
Eye strain
Headaches and general eye pain
Mild eye irritation
Glare
Excessive eye rubbing

The rate of progression fluctuates. Keratoconus will frequently developed slowly for ten to twenty years and then suddenly stop. As the disorder progresses, the most common signs include:

Increased blurring
Distortion of vision
Increased changes of eyeglass power
Inability to wear contact lenses.

Treatments:

The treatment of Keratoconus depends on the severity of the Keratoconus signs. In early levels, eyesight can be improved with the use of eyeglasses. If eyeglasses fail to deliver adequate vision then rigid contacts may be suggested to wear so that light penetrating the eye is evenly refracted &eyesight is not distorted.In mild cases, new eyeglasses generally make eyesight strong again.People suffering from Keratoconus should also refrain his/her eyes from rubbing as rubbing can aggravate thin cornea tissue and make conditions worse.

Keratoconus may be treated by Intacs, small curved implantable corneal devices, which can restructure the cornea. Intacs are FDA approved and can help flatten the steep cornea found in Keratoconus.

When all above mention treatments are not successful to provide clear vision, then the last option is a cornea transplant. Only 10-20% of Keratoconus patients need to go for this surgery. In corneal transplant, the center of the cornea is removed and it is replaced by the healthy donor cornea. The transplanted cornea settles gradually. After transplant, it may take a year or more to recover good eyesight.

Another most popular cornea transplant Keratoconus is Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK). During this process, only the front & middle layers of the cornea are transplanted. In this surgery, there is a less chance of rejection.
Article by
Sakaraeye care Hospitals

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