{"id":87595,"date":"2024-05-24T03:38:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T11:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/?p=87595"},"modified":"2025-01-31T05:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T13:01:16","slug":"what-is-keratoconus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/what-is-keratoconus\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Keratoconus?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-87649\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Keratoconus_1.jpg\" alt=\"What is Keratoconus?\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/question-mark-on-chalk-board-356079\/\" aria-label=\"Visit Pixabay Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pixabay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Keratoconus is a progressive eye disorder that affects the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped front surface of the eye. In this condition, the cornea gradually thins and resembles a more cone-like shape, leading to visual distortion and impairment.<\/p>\n<h2>Signs and Symptoms<\/h2>\n<p>Early signs of keratoconus may include blurred or distorted vision, increased sensitivity to light, and changes in prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. As the condition progresses, patients may experience worsening vision, increased astigmatism, and even scarring of the cornea.<\/p>\n<h2>Causes and Risk Factors<\/h2>\n<p>While the exact cause of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aao.org\/eye-health\/diseases\/what-is-keratoconus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" aria-label=\"Visit keratoconus Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>keratoconus<\/strong><\/a> is unknown, certain factors may contribute to its development. These include genetic predisposition, environmental factors such as excessive eye rubbing, and certain systemic conditions.<\/p>\n<h2>Diagnosis<\/h2>\n<p>Diagnosing keratoconus typically involves a <a href=\"\/blog\/getting-ready-for-your-eye-exam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Read more about comprehensive eye examination (opens in new tab)\"><strong>comprehensive eye examination<\/strong><\/a>, including tests such as corneal topography to map the shape of the cornea, and corneal pachymetry to measure its thickness. Additionally, doctors may perform a slit-lamp examination to evaluate the corneal structure and look for characteristic signs of keratoconus.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-87650\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Keratoconus_2.jpg\" alt=\"What is Keratoconus?\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/anonymous-oculist-examining-vision-of-patient-on-eye-screener-5765829\/\" aria-label=\"Visit Ksenia Chernaya Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ksenia Chernaya<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Treatment Options<\/h2>\n<p>Treatment for keratoconus aims to improve vision and halt the progression of the condition. Options may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Glasses or Contact Lenses<\/strong>: Initially, mild cases of keratoconus may be managed with <a href=\"\/b\/top-rated-glasses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Visit prescription glasses Page (opens in new tab)\"><strong>prescription glasses<\/strong><\/a> or soft contact lenses. Specialized contact lenses, such as rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses or scleral lenses, may be prescribed for more advanced cases to provide better visual acuity and corneal support.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Corneal Crosslinking<\/strong>: This minimally invasive procedure involves applying riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops to the cornea, followed by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Corneal crosslinking strengthens the corneal collagen fibers, helping to stabilize and strengthen the cornea to slow or halt the progression of keratoconus.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Intacs<\/strong>: Intacs are small, semi-circular plastic inserts that are surgically placed within the cornea to flatten and reshape its curvature. This can improve visual acuity and reduce the irregular astigmatism associated with keratoconus.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Corneal Transplant<\/strong>: In severe cases where other treatments are ineffective, a corneal transplant (keratoplasty) may be necessary. During this procedure, the irregular corneal tissue is removed and replaced with healthy donor tissue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-87651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Keratoconus_3.jpg\" alt=\"What is Keratoconus?\" width=\"916\" height=\"500\"><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/laser-eye-iris-correction-495751\/\" aria-label=\"Visit Pixabay Page\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pixabay<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Patients with Keratoconus<\/h2>\n<p>Keratoconus is a complex eye condition that requires early diagnosis and appropriate management to maintain vision and quality of life. Regular monitoring by an eye care professional is important to assess vision changes and the progression of the condition. Patients should also avoid rubbing their eyes excessively, as this can exacerbate corneal thinning and bulging. Nowadays, advances in treatment options and ongoing research allow individuals with keratoconus to manage their condition and maintain optimal eye health.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/b\/top-rated-glasses\" aria-label=\"Visit top rated glasses page\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-76510 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/231215_Blog_banner_shop_all.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1950\" height=\"250\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":87648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[149,157,156],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eye-health","category-billboard","category-eye-care"],"acf":[],"contentshake_article_id":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87595"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88027,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87595\/revisions\/88027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ca.zennioptical.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}