What is keratoconus...
Most of the people are new to the word keratoconus before they get diagnosed with the keratoconus. Was that true in your case too? I think, there are good chances that it was true!!! By the way, whatever your case is; it is of utmost importance to anyone, who gets diagnosed with the keratoconus to collect as much information as possible about it. Why not? After all, you are the sufferer.
The literal meaning of keratoconus is ‘conical cornea’ or ‘cornea cone’. Cornea is the front part of eye acting as a transparent window to the eye. It is normally clear, transparent and round shaped. When light enters through the healthy cornea, it gets refracted properly but when someone suffers from keratoconus eye disease, the cornea becomes thin and bulges outwards into cone shape. Due to this corneal thinning, cornea becomes irregular and cone shaped, losing the normal round shape. Because of the keratoconus eye disease, it becomes difficult for the light rays to focus properly on the retina, as the corneal surface distorts and acquires the shape of a cone. This eye condition is known as the keratoconus. If the Keratoconus is progressive then it may lead to worsening of the vision to great extent or even cornea transplant in future. So its important to halt the progression of keratoconus with the help of an effective and popular technique known as Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL/C3R) on time.
In this blog I will cover various topics related to keratoconus in separate chapters. Here is the image telling what will you know here...
🌓 Read this also
Causes
The real keratoconus causes are still unknown but some possible causes may be like – Genetic issues, free radicals damage, excessive eye rubbing, allergies causing irritation and leading further to eye rubbing, poor fitting of contact lenses and hormonal causes. One of these possible causes is the corneal erosion, which is caused by the action of harmful free radicals on the cornea. These free radicals damage the tissues of cornea, making it thinner further.
The following image shows various causes of keratoconus.
Most of the people are new to the word keratoconus before they get diagnosed with the keratoconus. Was that true in your case too? I think, there are good chances that it was true!!! By the way, whatever your case is; it is of utmost importance to anyone, who gets diagnosed with the keratoconus to collect as much information as possible about it. Why not? After all, you are the sufferer.
The literal meaning of keratoconus is ‘conical cornea’ or ‘cornea cone’. Cornea is the front part of eye acting as a transparent window to the eye. It is normally clear, transparent and round shaped. When light enters through the healthy cornea, it gets refracted properly but when someone suffers from keratoconus eye disease, the cornea becomes thin and bulges outwards into cone shape. Due to this corneal thinning, cornea becomes irregular and cone shaped, losing the normal round shape. Because of the keratoconus eye disease, it becomes difficult for the light rays to focus properly on the retina, as the corneal surface distorts and acquires the shape of a cone. This eye condition is known as the keratoconus. If the Keratoconus is progressive then it may lead to worsening of the vision to great extent or even cornea transplant in future. So its important to halt the progression of keratoconus with the help of an effective and popular technique known as Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (CXL/C3R) on time.
In this blog I will cover various topics related to keratoconus in separate chapters. Here is the image telling what will you know here...
🌓 Read this also
Causes
The real keratoconus causes are still unknown but some possible causes may be like – Genetic issues, free radicals damage, excessive eye rubbing, allergies causing irritation and leading further to eye rubbing, poor fitting of contact lenses and hormonal causes. One of these possible causes is the corneal erosion, which is caused by the action of harmful free radicals on the cornea. These free radicals damage the tissues of cornea, making it thinner further.
The following image shows various causes of keratoconus.
Symptoms
When someone suffers from keratoconus, the vision cannot be corrected with glasses because of the irregular and distorted shape of the cornea. So if any one or more of the following signs are observed then these may be keratoconus signs and the person must visit an eye doctor or cornea specialist.
- Appearance of halo around the bright lights especially at night
- Difficulty in driving mainly at night time
- Increased sensitivity of eyes for light
- Irritation in eyes
When someone suffers from keratoconus, the vision cannot be corrected with glasses because of the irregular and distorted shape of the cornea. So if any one or more of the following signs are observed then these may be keratoconus signs and the person must visit an eye doctor or cornea specialist.
- Appearance of halo around the bright lights especially at night
- Difficulty in driving mainly at night time
- Increased sensitivity of eyes for light
- Irritation in eyes
Treatment
Halting the progression of Keratoconus
C3R procedure
Image by:
www.corneaclinic.com
Corneal topography is used to measure the progression of the disease in the keratoconus eye. Keratoconus is a very rare disease and affects approximately one in every 2000 persons (0.05%). Keratoconus eye disease generally develops in late teenage years but its progression halts in most of the cases in person’s thirties or forties on its own.
🌓 Read this also
But no one can wait for such long periods to let the progression stop by itself, as it is a progressive corneal disease. It is very important to stop the progression of keratoconus on time. Corneal collagen crosslinking is a modern technique used to stop the progression of keratoconus. It is also known as C3R or CXL. If cross linking is not done on time, it may lead to corneal transplant.
Contact lenses for keratoconus
Contact lenses for keratoconus
Image by:
www.eye.hk
As we all know, prevention is better than cure, so if diagnosed with keratoconus, keep on visiting your eye doctor on regular intervals of time as advised by the doctor to observe the progression of keratoconus if any. If it is progressive then consider going for corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL/C3R) without any delay.
So various kinds of contact lenses especially designed for keratoconus are used nowadays. These contact lens techniques include- Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses, hybrid contact lenses (combination of both soft contact lenses and RGP contact lenses), scleral contact lenses and piggybacking contact lens technique etc.
🌓 Read this also
But to find proper fitting of these keratoconus contact lenses is not easy. It is very important to know which contact lens is most suitable for you. So here I am presenting an awesome post on comparison of different kinds of contact lenses based on various parameters. Contact lenses for keratoconus need to be manufactured and designed by an expert and experienced professional. The above mentioned customized contact lenses can provide satisfactory vision in most of the keratoconus cases.
Surgical options available for keratoconus treatment
ICL inside the eye
Image by:
www.weyeclinic.sg
As discussed already, contact lenses designed especially for keratoconus can offer satisfactory vision to the keratoconus eye, but some surgical options are also available for the keratoconus patients. These keratoconus surgery options include- Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), Intacts etc.
LASIK eye surgery
Image by:
eye.uams.edu
As keratoconus is a corneal disease arising because of the corneal thinning, it is not recommended to go for LASIK eye surgery.
Intacs inside the eye
Image by:
www.nkcf.org
Intacs are very thin semi circular rings of plastic inserted into the cornea. When inserted into the cornea of a keratoconus patient, can flatten the cornea by reducing the cornea cone.
🌓 Read this also
In this way, intacs can reduce the irregularities of the corneal surface, which leads to improved vision.
Cornea Transplant: The last option for keratoconus treatment
Keratoconus is a degenerative corneal disease, caused by thinning of the cornea. So if preventive measurements were not taken on time, it may lead to corneal transplant in future. When the corneal thinning approaches to a stage, where no other vision correction method or treatment works, corneal transplant may be advised by your eye doctor.
Halting the progression of Keratoconus
|
| C3R procedure Image by: www.corneaclinic.com |
Corneal topography is used to measure the progression of the disease in the keratoconus eye. Keratoconus is a very rare disease and affects approximately one in every 2000 persons (0.05%). Keratoconus eye disease generally develops in late teenage years but its progression halts in most of the cases in person’s thirties or forties on its own.
🌓 Read this also
But no one can wait for such long periods to let the progression stop by itself, as it is a progressive corneal disease. It is very important to stop the progression of keratoconus on time. Corneal collagen crosslinking is a modern technique used to stop the progression of keratoconus. It is also known as C3R or CXL. If cross linking is not done on time, it may lead to corneal transplant.
Contact lenses for keratoconus
 |
| Contact lenses for keratoconus Image by: www.eye.hk |
As we all know, prevention is better than cure, so if diagnosed with keratoconus, keep on visiting your eye doctor on regular intervals of time as advised by the doctor to observe the progression of keratoconus if any. If it is progressive then consider going for corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL/C3R) without any delay.
There are many techniques for keratoconus cure which can offer good vision to the keratoconus patient. For the starting phase of the keratoconus vision can be corrected by using eye glasses or soft contact lenses but as the eye condition deteriorates, eye glasses or soft contact lenses cannot be used, since the cornea shape becomes more irregular and distorted, making eye glasses and soft contact lenses insufficient to provide good vision.
So various kinds of contact lenses especially designed for keratoconus are used nowadays. These contact lens techniques include- Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses, hybrid contact lenses (combination of both soft contact lenses and RGP contact lenses), scleral contact lenses and piggybacking contact lens technique etc.
🌓 Read this also
But to find proper fitting of these keratoconus contact lenses is not easy. It is very important to know which contact lens is most suitable for you. So here I am presenting an awesome post on comparison of different kinds of contact lenses based on various parameters. Contact lenses for keratoconus need to be manufactured and designed by an expert and experienced professional. The above mentioned customized contact lenses can provide satisfactory vision in most of the keratoconus cases.
Surgical options available for keratoconus treatment
|
| ICL inside the eye Image by: www.weyeclinic.sg |
As discussed already, contact lenses designed especially for keratoconus can offer satisfactory vision to the keratoconus eye, but some surgical options are also available for the keratoconus patients. These keratoconus surgery options include- Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL), Intacts etc.
|
| LASIK eye surgery Image by: eye.uams.edu |
As keratoconus is a corneal disease arising because of the corneal thinning, it is not recommended to go for LASIK eye surgery.
 |
| Intacs inside the eye Image by: www.nkcf.org |
Intacs are very thin semi circular rings of plastic inserted into the cornea. When inserted into the cornea of a keratoconus patient, can flatten the cornea by reducing the cornea cone.
🌓 Read this also
In this way, intacs can reduce the irregularities of the corneal surface, which leads to improved vision.
Cornea Transplant: The last option for keratoconus treatment
Keratoconus is a degenerative corneal disease, caused by thinning of the cornea. So if preventive measurements were not taken on time, it may lead to corneal transplant in future. When the corneal thinning approaches to a stage, where no other vision correction method or treatment works, corneal transplant may be advised by your eye doctor.
Diet Plan for Keratoconus
Healthy foods for your eyes
Image by:
www.lifehack.org
It has been shown by some researches that by adopting a specific diet plan we can minimize the harmful effects of free-radicals. These free-radicals make structure of the cornea weaker by continuously bombarding it. This leads to thinning of the cornea and hence causes keratoconus. So a diet rich in antioxidants can diminish the effects of free radicals, as the antioxidants have the power to capture the free-radicals.
Click here to read more about keratoconus diet plan
Eye exercises for Keratoconus
Palming Eye relaxing technique
Image by:
stylesatlife.com
Some eye exercises especially for keratoconus can be of great help in reducing the rate of worsening of keratoconus up to some extent.
🌓 Read this also
As we know eye exercises are good for the general health of the whole eyes; and keratoconus is not the exception.
Here 3 Eye exercises will be discussed here that every keratoconus sufferer should try and practice regularly to see the results!!!
Click here to read more about eye exercises for keratoconus
 |
| Healthy foods for your eyes Image by: www.lifehack.org |
Click here to read more about keratoconus diet plan
Eye exercises for Keratoconus
 |
| Palming Eye relaxing technique Image by: stylesatlife.com |
Some eye exercises especially for keratoconus can be of great help in reducing the rate of worsening of keratoconus up to some extent.
As we know eye exercises are good for the general health of the whole eyes; and keratoconus is not the exception.
🌓 Read this also
Here 3 Eye exercises will be discussed here that every keratoconus sufferer should try and practice regularly to see the results!!!
Click here to read more about eye exercises for keratoconus
You may also like
What is keratoconus?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about keratoconus.
What causes keratoconus?
What are the keratoconus symptoms?
Is it possible to prevent further worsening of the keratoconus?
Can rubbing your eyes cause keratoconus?
How a proper Diet plan can help in avoiding the keratoconus and reducing the rate of its deterioration?
3 Highly effective simple eye exercises especially for keratoconus to improve your vision instantly. Try it and see the vision improvement.
Is keratoconus Genetic?
What is Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (Crosslinking/C3R /CXL)?
What is the meaning of keratoconus?
17 Health warnings by your eyes that you should never ignore.
What is ICL eye surgery?
Check out the wide variety of keratoconus contact lenses here.
What is Intacs eye surgery?
Which surgery option is more suitable for you: LASIK eye surgery or ICL surgery? Here is the comparison table.
Things you should know before corneal transplant.
What are the risks involved in the corneal transplant?
Can keratoconus make you blind?
Now get superhuman vision 3 times better than 20/20 with Bionic Lenses.
Why keratoconus sufferers are not right candidates for LASIK?
Eye drops for keratoconus treatment? Now forget the eye glasses and contact lenses...
A useful comparison of contact lenses based on many parameters that would be helpful in choosing the most suitable contact lens for you.
Breakthrough in stem cell operation new hope for blindness treatment!!!
You may also like
What is keratoconus?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about keratoconus.
What causes keratoconus?
What are the keratoconus symptoms?
Is it possible to prevent further worsening of the keratoconus?
Can rubbing your eyes cause keratoconus?
How a proper Diet plan can help in avoiding the keratoconus and reducing the rate of its deterioration?
3 Highly effective simple eye exercises especially for keratoconus to improve your vision instantly. Try it and see the vision improvement.
Is keratoconus Genetic?
What is Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (Crosslinking/C3R /CXL)?
What is the meaning of keratoconus?
17 Health warnings by your eyes that you should never ignore.
What is ICL eye surgery?
Check out the wide variety of keratoconus contact lenses here.
What is Intacs eye surgery?
Which surgery option is more suitable for you: LASIK eye surgery or ICL surgery? Here is the comparison table.
Things you should know before corneal transplant.
What are the risks involved in the corneal transplant?
Can keratoconus make you blind?
Now get superhuman vision 3 times better than 20/20 with Bionic Lenses.
Why keratoconus sufferers are not right candidates for LASIK?
Eye drops for keratoconus treatment? Now forget the eye glasses and contact lenses...
A useful comparison of contact lenses based on many parameters that would be helpful in choosing the most suitable contact lens for you.
Breakthrough in stem cell operation new hope for blindness treatment!!!
What is keratoconus?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about keratoconus.
What causes keratoconus?
What are the keratoconus symptoms?
Is it possible to prevent further worsening of the keratoconus?
Can rubbing your eyes cause keratoconus?
How a proper Diet plan can help in avoiding the keratoconus and reducing the rate of its deterioration?
3 Highly effective simple eye exercises especially for keratoconus to improve your vision instantly. Try it and see the vision improvement.
Is keratoconus Genetic?
What is Corneal Collagen Crosslinking (Crosslinking/C3R /CXL)?
What is the meaning of keratoconus?
17 Health warnings by your eyes that you should never ignore.
What is ICL eye surgery?
Check out the wide variety of keratoconus contact lenses here.
What is Intacs eye surgery?
Which surgery option is more suitable for you: LASIK eye surgery or ICL surgery? Here is the comparison table.
Things you should know before corneal transplant.
What are the risks involved in the corneal transplant?
Can keratoconus make you blind?
Now get superhuman vision 3 times better than 20/20 with Bionic Lenses.
Why keratoconus sufferers are not right candidates for LASIK?
Eye drops for keratoconus treatment? Now forget the eye glasses and contact lenses...
A useful comparison of contact lenses based on many parameters that would be helpful in choosing the most suitable contact lens for you.
Breakthrough in stem cell operation new hope for blindness treatment!!!
I need your contribution in spreading awareness about keratoconus. So please SHARE it by clicking on the buttons just below....
I need your contribution in spreading awareness about keratoconus. So please SHARE it by clicking on the buttons just below....
Well done sir...
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI find all th information is useful, informative.
Thank you for creating such contents.
Regards
Umakant
Nonsense. You FB post claimed
ReplyDelete"BREAKTHROUGH !!! NEWLY INTRODUCED EYE DROPS CAN RESHAPE AND STABILIZE THE CORNEA PERMANENTLY"
Where is this "Eye Drop" UV XR is a well established procedure. Such misleading claims should not be made
Is thar cross linking?
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