Is there a cure for keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a chronic disease of the cornea, in which its thinning occurs, and, as a result, a change in the shape of the surface from spherical to conical, convex. Due to such deformation, the optical properties of the cornea are disrupted, and the person begins to see worse.

Causes of keratoconus development

The exact reasons for the development of this ophthalmological disease are still not fully known. But it has been established that corneal degeneration can begin as a result of exposure to such critical factors as:

• genetic predisposition, inherited;
• disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
• eye injuries, including corneal damage;
• difficult environmental situation, high level of radiation, strong ultraviolet radiation;
• the patient has chronic diseases (hay fever, asthma, Down syndrome, etc.).

The habit of frequently rubbing your eyes can also contribute to the development of keratoconus.

Classification of keratoconus

There are several types of definition of keratoconus, but most ophthalmologists use the Amsler classification.

• Stage I. Visual acuity remains within 0.5-1.0, the patient develops a mild degree of astigmatism, which can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
• II stage. Vision decreases to 0.1-0.4, astigmatism progresses, but it can still be corrected.
• III stage. Astigmatism corresponds to 0.02-0.12 and is difficult to correct. The thickness of the cornea is 300-400 microns.
• IV stage. This is the most severe degree of the disease. Vision drops to 0.01-0.02. The cornea thins even more, its thickness does not exceed 200 microns, and the surface becomes cone-shaped.

Keratoconus is a chronic progressive disease, and if you do not see a doctor in time, significant vision deterioration will occur quite quickly.

Symptoms of keratoconus

Usually this pathology develops in one eye. But without proper treatment, the process can spread to the second eye. The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of astigmatism, since this visual impairment occurs in the early stages.

• Visual acuity constantly decreases, blurred vision occurs.
• Visible objects are distorted.
• The mucous membranes experience itching and burning, and photophobia develops.
• Eyes quickly get tired, performance decreases.
• You have to change glasses often, astigmatism rates increase.

If you do not consult a doctor or do not follow the recommendations already received, the disease goes into an acute stage - vision drops sharply, the eyes begin to hurt, the cornea becomes very cloudy, which can lead to complete blindness.

Diagnostics of keratoconus

Even with the high level of modern medicine, diagnosing keratoconus in the early stages is quite difficult. In addition to the patient's complaints and clinical signs, the result of additional instrumental studies will be required.

• Skiascopy. The ability of the eye to refract light is revealed. This procedure is also carried out when diagnosing myopia and astigmatism. When the cornea is deformed, the refraction of the eye differs from the norm.
• Refractometry. Detection of altered myopia and astigmatism provides additional confirmation of corneal curvature.
• Keratometry. The radius of curvature of the cornea is determined. Deviation from the norm suggests the development of keratoconus.

To establish a diagnosis, other instrumental studies are also carried out, which make it possible to determine the condition of the cornea at various stages of the disease with a high degree of accuracy. The main thing is to differentiate the signs of keratoconus from other visual impairments - myopia, astigmatism, keratoglobus, etc.

Treatment of keratoconus

Treatment for keratoconus consists only of vision correction or, in the most severe cases, surgery. There are no medications that can change the shape of the cornea or strengthen it. The choice of method depends on the degree of degeneration of the corneal layer. It is necessary to stabilize the pathological process, improve refractive indexes, and eliminate the possibility of corneal damage in the later stages.

• Individual selection of glasses or lenses. In the early stages, wearing soft lenses is recommended. With further progression, special scleral lenses will help bring the cornea to its anatomical shape. They are quite rigid and cover part of the sclera of the eyeball, which improves the correction of the corneal surface.
• Crosslinking procedure. Allows the use of a special drug with photosensitizing properties to strengthen collagen bonds inside the corneal tissue under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
• Keratoplasty. In the most severe cases, a donor cornea transplant is performed. The graft almost always takes root; in most patients, visual acuity improves to 0.9-1.0.

After treatment and completion of rehabilitation, it is necessary to be observed by an ophthalmologist with periodically every six months.