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Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that causes the dome-shaped cornea to bulge into a cone shape, impairing your eyesight. You can maintain your vision with the help of qualified eye specialists providing keratoconus treatment. Although finding out that you have keratoconus may cause anxiety, it helps to know what to ask your doctor to understand your condition. Read on to learn more about this eye disease so you can make an informed choice for treatment.

10 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Keratoconus

Is Keratoconus Common?

It is a rare optical condition that affects 1 in around 500 people. The incidence of this eye disease depends on the following factors:

• Family history
• Genetic factors
• Geographic location, especially areas with higher temperature

What Symptoms Indicate That I Have Keratoconus?

Here are a few signs that are an indication of this condition:

• Pain or constant irritation in the eyes
• Redness, burning, or extreme tearing
• Sensitivity to light
• White spots on the cornea
• Excessive haze or streaks around lights

How Does Keratoconus Affect Eyesight?

It is a degenerative disease that can cause significant visual problems. In the early stages, the condition may cause slight blurring, leading to distortion of vision. It also causes increased sensitivity to glare and light. As the disease progresses, it can make regular tasks such as driving, reading books, and watching television difficult.

What are the Options Available for Keratoconus Treatment?

Depending on how it affects your vision, here are a few treatments that experts often recommend for this condition:

• Eyeglasses
• Soft contact lenses
• Corneal transplant
• UltraView cross-linking

Can Glasses Help Treat Keratoconus?

The condition can be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses in the early stages. However, if it progresses to a moderate or critical stage, glasses may not help you. If you have a severe case, they may ask you to opt for a corneal transplant as part of keratoconus treatment.

Will My Condition Get Worse?

Keratoconus is known to affect people in their teenage years. Mostly, it develops in one eye and may affect the other over time. Although there is no sure way to predict disease progression, keratoconus typically progresses for about 10 to 20 years, then slows down around the age of 25-30. It helps to consult with a specialist who can provide adequate keratoconus treatment.

Can Keratoconus Lead to Blindness?

Although it affects your vision, keratoconus does not cause blindness when treated correctly. Be sure to visit your eye doctor so they can recommend appropriate measures depending on the severity of the condition.

How Can I Prevent Keratoconus from Getting Worse?

When it comes to keratoconus treatment, there have been great strides of progress, resulting in improved quality of vision. Although it is a progressive eye condition, many treatments can help enhance your vision and also reverse the damage already done.

• Yearly Screenings They are essential because regular check-ups can help your doctor identify signs of keratoconus in the early stages. Also, if you have a family history of this disease, be sure to talk to them about it.
• Follow Your Eye Doctor’s Instructions If you are diagnosed with keratoconus, it helps to follow your eye doctor’s advice regarding the best treatment options and eye care routine to keep your condition from worsening. Typically, cross-linking eye surgery, as part of keratoconus treatment, often helps to avoid the condition from getting worse.
• Refrain from Rubbing Your Eyes If your doctor says that you may have early signs of keratoconus or if you have a family history of this optical condition, be sure to avoid rubbing your eyes. This is because eye rubbing may raise your chances of developing the disease or even make it worse.

Can I Opt for Laser Corrective Eye Surgery If I Have Keratoconus?

It helps to know that you should not have any vision correction surgery, including LASIK, if you have even a small degree of keratoconus. This is because doing so can weaken your vision and lead to corneal scarring, often worsening the condition of your eyes. Thus, it can be quite dangerous.

Can Keratoconus be Cured?

When it comes to managing keratoconus, it helps to know what remedies are available so you can make an informed choice. Depending on your condition, the treatment options may include undergoing a corneal cross-linking procedure or being fitted with scleral contact lenses, or even both. Also, be sure to have frequent eye exams to ensure your cornea remains stable.

Our Eye Specialists Can Help You with Keratoconus Treatment

UELC is a reputable eye clinic offering comprehensive eye care to help improve your eyesight. When you visit us, you can rest assured that you are in good hands medically. We use UltraView cross-linking, a minimally invasive procedure, to treat keratoconus in patients. We will help you understand what the treatment entails and answer any questions you have so you know what to expect. In addition to this, we also offer other vision corrective options such as KAMRA eye surgery, LASIK and PRK procedures. We have qualified eye care specialists, including Dr. Eric Tam and Dr. Sohel Somani, to help you.

If you are looking for information on cross-linking in Brampton, Vaughan, or Scarborough, be sure to visit our clinics in the respective locations.

If you have any questions about this eye condition or want to discuss keratoconus treatment, feel free to call us on 416-653-8352. We’ll be happy to guide you!