Keratoconus is a degenerative disease that causes deformation of the cornea, which is the transparent membrane that protects the eye, making it thinner and curved, acquiring the shape of a small cone.
Generally, keratoconus appears around the age of 16 with symptoms such as difficulty seeing at close range and sensitivity to light, which occur due to the deformation of the eye membrane, which ends up blurring the light rays inside the eye.
Keratoconus does not always have a cure because it depends on the degree of the eye involvement, in the first and second degree the use of lenses may help, but in the most severe cases, grades three and four may need surgery for corneal transplantation, for example.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of keratoconus may include:
- Blurry vision;
- Hypersensitivity to light;
- View "ghost" images;
- Double vision;
- Headache;
- Itching in the eye.
These symptoms are very similar to any other vision problem, however, the vision tends to worsen very fast, forcing the constant exchange of glasses and lenses. In this way, the ophthalmologist may suspect the presence of keratoconus and make an examination to evaluate the shape of the cornea of the eye. If the shape of the eye changes, a keratoconus is usually diagnosed and a computer is used to evaluate the degree of corneal curvature, helping to adjust the treatment.
Can knockout blinding?
Keratoconus usually does not cause complete blindness, however, with progressive disease worsening and corneal alteration, the sighted image becomes very blurred, eventually hampering daily activities.
Treatment for keratoconus
The treatment for keratoconus should always be done by an ophthalmologist and is usually initiated with the use of rigid glasses and lenses for correction of the degree of vision.
In addition, people with keratoconus should avoid rubbing their eyes, as this action may accelerate deformation of the cornea. If frequent itching or burning, it is recommended to inform the ophthalmologist to start treatment with some eye drops.
When surgery is needed
Over time, the cornea will suffer more changes and so, the vision is getting worse to a point where the glasses and lenses can no longer correct the image. In these situations, one of the following types of surgery may be used:
- Crosslinking : is a technique that can be used along with the lenses or glasses since the diagnosis is made. It consists of the application of vitamin B12 directly to the eye and exposure to UV-A light, to promote the stiffening of the cornea, preventing it from continuing to change its shape;
- Ring implant in the cornea : a small surgery of about 20 minutes in which the ophthalmologist places a small ring in the eye that helps to make the cornea smoother, avoiding the aggravation of the problem.
Usually these surgery techniques do not cause a cure for keratoconus, but they help prevent the worsening of the disease. That way, after surgery it may be necessary to continue to wear glasses or lenses to improve vision.
The only way to cure keratoconus is to perform a corneal transplant, however, because of the risk of this type of surgery, it is usually done only when the degree of change is very high or when keratoconus worsens even after other types of surgery. See more about how the surgery is done, such as the recovery and the care that should be taken.
