What Is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus results when the cornea gradually thins out and bulges in the shape of a cone. This may result in blurred vision and cause people to have light sensitivity. We can help you here at Vision 3C Specialists in San Antonio, TX. A quick search for an eye doctor near me will give you many results, but we are amongst the best when it comes to treating vision issues such as keratoconus and many other vision and eye health related conditions.
Causes & Symptoms
There are no direct known causes of keratoconus. However, both environmental and genetic factors are thought to play a role in causing this condition. It is also worth noting that 1 in 10 people diagnosed with this condition have at least one parent with keratoconus as well. Certain risk factors such as having a family history and forcefully rubbing your eyes can increase your chances of developing this eye condition. Down syndrome, hay fever, asthma, and even Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can also increase a person’s chances of developing keratoconus.
Symptoms associated with this eye condition consist of:
- Cloudy or sudden worsening of vision
- Frequent eyeglass prescription changes
- Distorted or blurred vision
- Light sensitivity and glares
Diagnosis & Treatment
An eye doctor will be able to conduct an eye exam and look over your family and medical history to diagnose keratoconus. Other tests may be done to give the doctor more information about the shape of your cornea.
An eye doctor may perform any of the following tests:
- Keratometry
- Eye refraction
- Slit-lamp examination
- Computerized corneal mapping
Depending on the severity of your keratoconus, treatment will vary. It will also depend on how quickly the progression is taking place. Contact lenses or eyeglasses can treat patients with mild to moderate keratoconus. It may take just a few years for a patient’s cornea to become stable again. Patients with a mild to moderate condition will not experience any severe vision issues.
Surgery is necessary for those patients that have a scarred cornea or cannot wear contact lenses. If you need to have surgery to fix your keratoconus, there are a couple of options available depending on where the bulging cone is located as well as how severe your condition is. Corneal inserts or corneal transplants are both options that are available which can restore your cornea to a normal shape. For those that have extreme thinning of their corneas, they will more than likely need to have a transplant.
Appointments
If you are looking for an eye doctor near me, you have come to the right place. Please visit our website or give us a call here at Vision 3C Specialists for an appointment today. If you are in the San Antonio, TX area, we want to hear from you!
