Keratoconus

What Is Keratoconus? - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment in India

Keratoconus is a condition where the clear front part of the eye, the cornea, thins and gradually bulges outwards into a cone shape. This short explains the condition and its effects on vision.

What happens in keratoconus

Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease that affects the structure of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye.

• Corneal thinning. The cornea becomes thin and loses its normal round shape. This weakness allows it to bulge outwards.
• Cone shape. The cornea begins to form a cone-like bulge. This change in shape deflects light as it enters the eye, causing distorted vision.
• Progressive condition. It often begins in the teenage years or early twenties. It can then progress for 10 to 20 years before it may slow or stabilise.
• Both eyes affected. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes, though one eye is often more severely affected than the other.

Symptoms and causes

• Blurred vision. Early symptoms can include mild blurring and distortion of vision, and increased sensitivity to light and glare.
• Changing prescription. You may notice frequent changes in your eyeglass prescription, or find that glasses no longer correct your vision well.
• Irregular astigmatism. The condition causes irregular astigmatism, which cannot be fully corrected with standard glasses.
• Unknown cause. The exact cause is not known. It is thought that genetics, eye rubbing, and certain allergic conditions may be linked to it.

How keratoconus is managed

Treatment depends on the severity and progression of the condition. The aim is to provide clear vision and prevent the condition from worsening.

• Early stages. In the early stages, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses can correct the mild vision problems.
• Later stages. As the condition progresses, you may need rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses or other types of specialised lenses to improve vision.
• Corneal cross-linking. This is a procedure that uses UV light and vitamin B2 drops to strengthen the cornea. This can stop the condition from getting worse, but it does not reverse existing shape changes.
• Corneal transplant. In a small number of advanced cases, a corneal transplant may be an option if vision cannot be improved with other treatments.

The right approach for you depends on your individual case. A final decision on suitability for any treatment is made only after a specialist has reviewed your medical reports and recent eye examinations.