Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea's structure weakens and bulges outward into a cone shape.
Keratoconus is a progressive eye disease where the thinning cornea develops a cone-like shape, deflecting light and causing severely distorted vision. Dr. Stephanie Woo at The Contact Lens Institute of Nevada offers a wide range of successful treatment options to help you restore clear, comfortable eyesight.
"Scleral contacts changed this Keratoconus patient's life. "
There are several ways to treat this condition depending on its severity. While mild symptoms can be corrected with eyeglasses, progressive stages offer various advanced treatment options.
Keratoconus is a rare condition that typically begins in the teenage years, causing frequent prescription changes as vision gradually deteriorates. It can only be diagnosed through a thorough eye exam, so contact Dr. Stephanie Woo at The Contact Lens Institute of Nevada to schedule your consultation today.
Scleral contact lenses vault over the cornea, providing a smooth refracting surface for enhanced clarity and comfort. Custom soft contact lenses are also available and specially designed to correct mild-to-moderate keratoconus.
Piggyback contact lenses improve wearer comfort by placing a soft cushioning lens underneath a rigid gas-permeable lens. Hybrid contact lenses combine a highly oxygen-permeable rigid center that vaults over the cornea with a soft peripheral skirt.
Advanced options include Intacs to flatten corneal curvature and Corneal collagen cross-linking using UV light to strengthen the cornea. As a last resort, a Corneal transplant can replace distorted tissue, though glasses or contacts may still be needed.
The exact cause of keratoconus is unknown, though it is linked to genetic predisposition, excessive eye rubbing, UV exposure, and certain underlying conditions. These factors weaken the collagen fibers, preventing the cornea from maintaining its normal spherical shape.
As the cornea bulges into a cone shape, your normally smooth corneal surface becomes wavy. This causes irregular astigmatism, nearsightedness, and distorted eyesight that usually begins in one eye before affecting the other.
As vision worsens over time, frequent prescription changes occur and wearing contact lenses can become uncomfortable or difficult. In advanced stages, the thinning cornea can swell and form scar tissue, resulting in increasingly blurred and distorted vision.
Early stages often present with mild blurred vision, sensitivity to light, and chronically irritated eyes. In later stages, patients experience severe nearsightedness, irregular astigmatism, and an inability to wear regular contact lenses.
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