Keratoconus: A Guide

Keratoconus is a non-inflammatory condition in which the cornea of the eye becomes increasingly curved. This can quickly result in stretching, thinning and irregularity of the cornea, causing myopia, irregular astigmatism and blurred vision.

Keratoconus can progress to scarring of the cornea, which can require a corneal transplant operation to improve vision. In most cases, keratoconus starts in teenagers and continues to progress until the late twenties and thirties, when it will often stabilise, or the rate of progression will reduce.

Symptoms

Symptoms of keratoconus include:

  • Blurred vision
  • Distorted Vision
  • Sensitivity to glare
  • Seeing more than one image
  • Frequent need to change glasses or contacts

Diagnosis

Those with high astigmatism are likely to have keratoconus. It is often visible by the obvious steepening corneal curve, which is often known as the Munson’s Sign. The most definitive way to diagnose keratoconus is to use a corneal topographer. The topographer maps the curvature of the eye and can show a tell-tale red cone of steepening; keratoconus.

Treatment

Glasses and contact lenses are often enough to correct early cases of keratoconus. As the condition progresses, the patient may benefit from speciality contact lenses; your doctor or eye surgeon will be able to let you know which ones will be best. Surgical procedures are also becoming increasingly popular for those with keratoconus. Intacs are small, clear, crescent-shapes pieces of plastic polymer that are inserted into the cornea. The plastic helps to alter the shape of the cornea and corrects the refractive error. Intacs are inserted into the outer edge of the cornea, meaning the centre is untouched and they can therefore be surgically removed.

Unfortunately, Intacs are not able to be used with those who have high levels of myopia or astigmatism.

Here at Viewpoint Vision, we provide a full range of advanced treatment options at affordable prices for treating keratoconus, including collagen cross linking, Intacs, implantable contact lenses and corneal transplants.

If you would like more information, you can get in touch with the Viewpoint Vision team by visiting our contact page or by calling 01744 646643.