Learning About Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a degenerative optical condition in which the cornea (the outermost layer of the eyeball) starts to become thinner than normal and eventually results in a cone-like shape. It’s crucial for people to be seen by their eye doctor in Miami when they start to show symptoms of this condition because it will result in vision issues that reduce a person’s quality of life. If this condition is caught early enough, though, then an eye doctor in Miami Beach can prescribe a number of treatments to prevent the problem from becoming worse and to help a patient deal with their existing symptoms. In most cases, treating keratoconus is a simple thing to do.

Available Treatments For Keratoconus

Those who have been diagnosed with keratoconus are likely wondering what their Miami eye doctor can do to prevent the problem from becoming worse than it already is. There are several existing treatments for those who have developed this condition already, and there are even newer treatments becoming available that are still in clinical trials.

● The most common treatment for this condition is to be prescribed eyeglasses or contacts. Because the cornea is the part of the eye that refracts light onto the retina, glasses can help to properly refract the light into the eye and allow normal vision.

● Plastic rings, known as intacs plastic rings, can be placed into a person’s cornea to prevent it from continuing to change shape. The plastic rings are surgically implanted and prevent the condition from continuing to damage the cornea.

● Corneal cross-linking, known as CXL, is a newly developed treatment for keratoconus that has recently received FDA approval.

● In cases where a patient’s cornea has changed shaped too drastically, a corneal transplant may be necessary.

Why Do People Develop Keratoconus?

An eye doctor will be able to recognize this condition, diagnose it, and begin treatment for it, but they will not be able to tell what caused their patient to develop this condition in the first place. It’s estimated that 1 in 2,000 people have or develop this condition, and it’s most commonly diagnosed in a person’s early teenage years. However, people all over the world develop this condition randomly and it’s not something that’s genetically passed down or caused by environmental factors. Even though the cause of keratoconus is not known, doctors can stop its progression and treat it effectively.

photo credit: Ivana Vasilj What emotion via photopin (license)