Keratoconus – What to do when you are diagnosed

Article by John D Andrews

Keratoconus can start in teenagers, young adults and people who regularly 'rub' their eyes. Specialist diagnostic equipment like a corneal topographer (an instrument that measures corneal shape and contour) not normally discovered in your local or high street optometrist are required to pick up the symptoms for keratoconus in these early stages.

Most people have by no means heard of 'keratoconus', nonetheless it is an eye disease that is a lot more common than you would imagine. The official estimate is that about 1 in 2,000 men and women suffer from the illness but in fact the figure is much more likely to be closer to 1 in 500.

Keratoconus outcomes in an irregular corneal surface that causes the patient blurred, double vision and image distortion caused by the the refraction of light by means of the irregular cornea.

In the early stages of keratoconus diagnosis is hard as the symptoms are similar to other eye conditions. It can commence in teenagers, young adults and individuals who regularly 'rub' their eyes. Specialist diagnostic equipment like a corneal topographer (an instrument that measures corneal shape and contour) not normally found in your local or high street optometrist are necessary to pick up the symptoms for keratoconus in these early stages.

1. Eye prescriptions turn into unstable and changing due to the changing shape of the cornea2. There is a blurring and distortion of vision3. Significant progression of astigmatism4. Sudden decrease in vision caused by corneal swelling5. Glare6. Irritation of the eyes causing much more eye rubbing7. Light sensitivity

It is critical to get a right diagnosis as soon as achievable so that ALL possibilities for treatment can be regarded as seriously.

The typical patient journey once keratoconus has been identified is

1. Monitoring of the illness with the optician and modifications to contact lens or glasses prescription.2. As the illness progresses, hard, toric lenses and referral to the NHS ophthalmologist for further monitoring.3. If the illness continues to progress further, consideration for corneal graft in conjunction with NHS.

What to do when YOU are diagnosed with Keratoconus

Right now, no one ought to have to obtain a corneal graft as a consequence of keratoconus, if it is diagnosed and treated early enough, as there are now established remedies accessible that have been used in Europe for the past 10 years or more. Whilst the lengthy term stabilty of these remedies can not be proven but, the past ten years has shown that these treatments do maintain the cornea stable for a least ten years.

The 1st factor to do when you have been diagnosed with keratoconus is to read up about it.

You should find info on the following remedies:

1. Intacs for keratoconus2. Corneal Collagen Cross-linking3. Topography Guided Custom Ablation with Corneal Collagen Cross-linking

The very first treatment, Corneal Collagen Cross-linking has been successfully utilized in Europe for the past ten years. It 'fixes' the eye by inducing a rapid 'cross-linking' of collagen fibres thereby strengthening the structure of the cornea and stopping it from weakening further.

The second treatment, Topography Guided Custom Ablation with Corneal Collagen Cross-linking is a specialist treatment undertaken by just a few clinics in the world.

Topography Guided Custom Ablation uses a extremely refined excimer laser to minimize the steepness of the keratoconus bulge on the surface of the eye and thereby reverse the loss of acuity of vision for the patient.When this has been carried out the cornea is 'fixed' in its new position with Corneal Collagen Cross-linking.

If you have been diagnosed with keratoconus you and your parents and guardians (if you are a teenager) have to take control of the treatments that are becoming provided.

Optometrists and Ophthalmologists will not necessarily give you the alternative to stabilise the cornea via Corneal Collagen Cross-linking. It is up to you to investigate these alternatives before your vision deteriorates to the extent that you only option is a corneal graft.

For far more info you can go to http://www.accuvision.co.uk a clinic that are able to give both advanced remedies for keratoconus in the UK.

About the Author

John Andrews is witness to some of the leading developments in Laser eye surgery and refractive surgery through his involvement in Accuvision Laser Eye Care Clinics. He meets with patients from around the world who travel to Accuvision for its leading edge technology, remedies and the outstanding outcomes they are able to safely deliver.

The most promising technology for treating Keratoconus known as collagen cross linking (CXL) with UVA is currently becoming introduced into the United States under experimental protocols in Clinical Trials. This treatment, which has been employed in Europe for eight years, now is undergoing Phase 1 FDA clinical trials in the United States. It has been demonstrated to be secure and powerful if performed, with the epithelium removed, and has the possible to quit the progression of Keratoconus. This treatment is advised for individuals with progressive Keratoconus or Ectasia following LASIK to stabilize the cornea. It can be performed with our without having INTACS. Even although enrollment for this process for the FDA trials is closed, our center is 1 of the only centers in the United States that has received and IDE (Investigational Device Exemption) from the FDA to treat patients with this procedure and we are currently enrolling patients under an Investigational protocol. This protocol makes it possible for us to enroll patients for the next 5 years and can be viewed on the government web site -- www.clinicaltrials.gov. Because this treatment is still regarded as experimental in the United States it need to only be done with Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, so that patients can adequately be protected. The process, which is painless, is as follows. The top layer of the cornea is removed under local anesthesia. Vitamin drops are soaked into the cornea until they penetrate the whole ...