What is keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a degenerative eye disease of the cornea when certain part of the cornea becomes thinner and has a more conical shape. This can gradually change the need for wearing diopters and the vision in general. Because anterior area of the cornea plays a very important role in refractive state of the eye then even a minor change of its radius of curvature can significantly change the quality of the vision.

This eye disease affects approximately 0.5% of the entire population in working age and most commonly originates in the period of adolescence. However, there are also some instances of children younger than six years and women in the period of menopause suffering from this disease. Even though the disease starts to show some symptoms usually on one eye, patients decide to find a professional help only when the other eye is affected and the vision worsens; however it can take even a couple of years.

The course of keratoconus eye disease leads to formation of the progressive shortsightedness followed by formation of the irregular astigmatism. If the keratoconus is discovered soon enough, in early stages it can be corrected by eyeglasses, soft or subsequently hard contact lenses. Transplantation of the cornea is the last option.

Keratoconus is a congenital eye disease of the eye which is very common. Keratoconus eye disease is often diagnosed in combination with other diseases. It can be for example atopic eczema, Down syndrome, Marfan syndrome, asthma bronchiale and different types of allergies.

Factors which play important role in treating keratoconus include regimen, sufficient supply of water, vitamins and high-quality sleep. Recently it was discovered that also some hormonal changes and medications can cause the outbreak of the disease. Patients suffering from keratoconus have fragile nails, soft mat hair and often urgent need to rub their eyes. Correction or remedy of keratoconus is still very complicated despite huge progress in this field.