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Keratoconus is a disease that occurs due to the unstable connections between collagen fibers in the corneal parenchyma, changing the radius of curvature of the cornea abnormally, progressing over time, and causing myopia and rapidly increasing astigmatism. Consequences can cause dilated, convex cornea and reduced vision, which is irreversible even with glasses correction.
2. How to treat keratoconus?
Patients need to be examined by an ophthalmologist to get an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment.
Use glasses or soft contact lenses: Patients with keratoconus at an early stage, when the corneal astigmatism is not much, can be corrected with glasses like standard refractive errors.
Using hard contact lenses: In more advanced stages, the cornea is changed, unevenly rough (uneven astigmatism), but still transparent; glasses or soft contact lenses at this time do not work. The use of rigid contact lenses will help improve the patient’s vision. Depending on the degree and specific morphology, the doctor can prescribe designer glasses with different parameters; glasses designs combine hard and soft contact lenses to achieve the best vision for the patient.
Cross-linking is the only surgery that can slow the progression of the apical cornea. The doctor uses small amounts of vitamin B2 on the cornea and uses ultraviolet light to increase the strength of the cornea.
Corneal Transplant: When the disease is at a late stage, the patient needs surgery, aka corneal transplant, to place a ring in the corneal parenchyma to see better, or a partial or complete corneal transplant is required to restore vision.
Patients with keratoconus need regular eye exams to monitor and detect complications early and change glasses parameters if necessary. Patients who use contact lenses must follow the instructions, clean and store their glasses to be safe for their eyes, and avoid complications encountered while using mirrors.