What is keratoconus?

If you have keratoconus, your cornea, which is normally clear, dome-shaped part of the eye, responsible for focusing the light rays into your eyes, progressively thins out and forms a bulge shaped like a cone protruding outside. This change in the shape causes optical irregularity by making light rays out of focus. This results in blurry, distorted vision and would potentially hinder with your daily function, such as driving and reading.

What are the symptoms of keratoconus?

The symptoms for Keratoconus may vary according to the progression and maturity of the disease. In any case, it is always recommended to consult our eye doctors at Everett & Hurite if you have:

• Blurred or distorted vision
• Frequent prescription changes for eyeglass and contact lens
• Sudden clouding of vision
• Increased light sensitivity

How is keratoconus diagnosed?

At Everett & Hurite, the team of super-specialized eye care professionals would start by reviewing your medical and family history and would conduct a thorough examination of your eyes. If you are suspected to have Keratoconus, you’ll undergo specific refractory tests to evaluate the shape of your cornea.

How is keratoconus treated?

The doctors at Everett & Hurite offer Avedro technology, which is the most effective and safest treatment available for keratoconus and the only one approved by the FDA. The actual procedure takes about an hour, but you will be at the office for approximately two hours to allow sufficient time for preparation and recovery before you return to the comfort of your own home. 

The Avedro technology involves cross-linking, which stabilizes your cornea, repairs the biomechanical integrity and stops keratoconus progression in its earliest phases. As this procedure helps in treating associated vision loss, patients with a more advanced stage of keratoconus can benefit from this procedure as well. Cross-linking is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure that combines the use of riboflavin eye drops, Photrexa® Viscous, (riboflavin 5’-phosphate in 20% dextran ophthalmic solution), Photrexa® (riboflavin 5’-phosphate ophthalmic solution), and ultraviolet A (UVA) light from the KXL® system for the treatment of progressive keratoconus. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is naturally occurring in the body, including the eye. It is a photosensitizer. Riboflavin is non-toxic and is used as an additive in food and pharmaceuticals. UVA is one of the three types of invisible light rays given off by the sun (together with ultraviolet B and ultraviolet C) and is the weakest of the three.

This state-of-the-art treatment can also slow the thinning of the cornea, thereby eliminating the need for you to have a corneal transplant. Approximately 20% of patients who have left the condition untreated, had to undergo a corneal transplant. 

Can corrective lenses improve the symptoms of keratoconus?

Eyeglasses or soft contact lenses could correct the blurry distorted vision, during the early states of keratoconus. Due to the persistent thinning and weakening of the cornea, your vision would change consistently, and you would have to change your prescription often. Some specialized lenses like hard contact lenses, hybrid lenses, and scleral lenses could also help, but these specialized lenses are less comfortable to wear on your eyes, which could lead to its own share of corneal changes. In any case, corrective lenses does not stop the progression of keratoconus and the thinning of your cornea. Only the Avedro technology is able to offer such treatment. 

If you are over the age of 14 and have been diagnosed with progressive keratoconus or if you suddenly experience blurred vision or are progressively losing focus of your sight, don’t hesitate to call or schedule an appointment online with our corneal specialist in one of our offices.