{"id":20718,"date":"2024-03-11T11:17:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T15:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wowrxpharmacy.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/keratoconus-treatment\/"},"modified":"2024-07-31T03:30:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T07:30:28","slug":"keratoconus-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wowrxpharmacy.com\/pl\/blog\/eye-care\/keratoconus-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"A Complete Guide to Keratoconus Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keratoconus is an eye condition in which your cornea thins and bulges outward into a conical shape.

If you have it, you may have blurred vision and sensitivity to light and glare.

A 48-year clinical study of Keratoconus by R.H. Kennedy et al. found a prevalence of less than 55 in 100,000 people.

Slowing the progression of the disease and improving the vision are two approaches to treating Keratoconus.

Read the article to learn about Keratoconus treatments, diagnosis, and prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n

Keratoconus Treatments<\/h2>\n\n\n

Treatment for Keratoconus depends on its severity, age, and how quickly the condition progresses.

Ten evaluation<\/a> of patients above 20 is every six months. While people with higher risk factors, like pregnancy or young age (under 20), are examined every three months.

Severe cases of Keratoconus are usually treated with combination therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n

Czy wiesz, \u017ce?<\/div>
\nKeratoconus is a progressive, non-inflammatory thinning of the cornea. The corneal distortion due to this results in irregular Astigmatism.<\/p>\n

As a result, patients with Keratoconus have Astigmatism. But not everyone with Astigmatism suffers from Keratoconus.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Spectacles and contact lenses<\/h3>\n\n\n

In the early stages of Keratoconus, spectacles and contact lenses are recommended.

This is likely a long-term treatment if your cornea becomes stable with time or from cross-linking treatment.

In mild Keratoconus, soft contact lenses are sufficient. But at more advanced stages, rigid gas-permeable contact lenses become necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n

Ostrze\u017cenie<\/div>
Although many designs are available, conventional contact lenses can be uncomfortable on a Keratoconic eye, causing dryness, pain, double vision, and itching.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Collagen Cross-linking (CCL)<\/h3>\n\n\n

In collagen cross-linking, the cornea is saturated with riboflavin eyedrops and treated with Ultraviolet light.

Ten process<\/a> helps stiffen the cornea from further change in its shape.

Therapy works by stabilizing the corneal tissues.

Currently, the treatment is recommended for patients with progressive Keratoconus and clear cornea to slow or stop the progression.

After CCL, the likelihood of needing a cornea transplant is decreased.

The downside of the treatment is infectious Keratitis<\/a>, Edema, and Haze in some patients. It is an irreversible treatment that does not improve your vision.<\/p>\n\n\n

Intracorneal Ring Segments<\/h3>\n\n\n

Intracorneal Ring Segments (ICRS) are a modern, less invasive surgical option to improve<\/a> eyesight in patients with Keratoconus.

In the process, Intracorneal ring segments, made with Polymethyl Methacrylate, are implanted into the deep corneal stroma.

It helps flatten the corneal surface by an arc-shortening effect, reducing the refractive error.

The reduction in refractive error depends on the thickness and diameter of the ring segments. This refractive correction improves visual acuity (sharpness).

To treat Astigmatism due to Keratoconus, shorter and thinner rings are used. In contrast, longer and thicker ring segments are used to correct Myopia.

Some complications after the treatment are infection, fluctuating visual outcomes, and Dysphotopsia<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Keratoplasty<\/h3>\n\n\n

Patients may need corneal transplantation if the above less invasive procedures are ineffective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penetrating Keratoplasty is a transplant procedure<\/a> in which a patient\u2019s cornea is replaced with a corneal graft from a donor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients may take several weeks or months for recovery, with visual functions stabilizing a year after transplantation.

Allograft rejection, Iatrogenic Astigmatism, and recurrence of Keratoconus are some of the complications patients may face after the surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n

Diagnosis of condition<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Eye
Slit lamp exam <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Diagnosing the condition early for better results from treatment is essential.

Here are some of the diagnosis methods used to identify Keratoconus.<\/p>\n\n\n

Slit-lamp evaluation<\/h3>\n\n\n

Examining the patients at slit-lamp can help reveal several diagnostic features of Keratoconus.

Thinning of central and paracentral parts of the cornea is the characteristic sign.

If a person has Keratoconus, the slit-lamp photograph will show a corneal Fleischer ring<\/a> composed of iron deposits.<\/p>\n\n\n

Corneal topography and tomography<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"Topographer\"
Optometry Topographer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Corneal topography and tomography provide information about corneal curvature.

Topographic cornea maps will show signs of irregular Astigmatism, if any.

Astigmatism is an irregularly shaped cornea that keeps light from bending correctly, causing vision problems.

Corneal tomography gives additional parameters about the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces.

In Keratoconus, the posterior corneal structure changes before the anterior surface. 

If you have it, corneal tomography may show stromal thinning and elevation changes in the posterior structure.

Thus, you can detect the early stage of Keratoconus using corneal tomography even before the symptoms emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n

Recommended Article:<\/div>
To learn more about the Keratoconus symptoms, you can read Keratoconus Symptoms: Know the Signs<\/a>.<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

How to prevent<\/h2>\n\n\n

Most cases of Keratoconus are not preventable.

However, you may be able to reduce the chances by following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n