Many conditions can impact your eye health and lead to blurriness and light sensitivity. One of the most common issues is keratoconus, which is a progressive disorder that affects the structure of your cornea. If you're curious about this condition and if you should visit an eye doctor about it, below is a brief introduction.

What Is Keratoconus?

People who have keratoconus experience changes to their eye health gradually. Problems develop when the cornea becomes thin and stretched, eventually bulging and taking on a cone-shaped silhouette. This silhouette can cause blurriness, light sensitivity, and a visible glare in your peripheral vision. Occasionally, it also makes objects appear to have a film over them. Without prompt treatment, the bulge may eventually become visible when looking at your eye.

While this condition usually affects people in their late teens to early 20s, even children can develop it. However, since the bulge develops slowly, it may take more than 10 years for you to experience significant changes in vision. While the exact cause of keratoconus is not known, people with a family history of the condition have a greater risk of developing it. Additionally, people with Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and asthma, are also more vulnerable.

What Are the Treatment Options?

If you notice any changes in your vision or eye health, you should visit an eye doctor immediately. The sooner that the doctor can diagnose keratoconus, the quicker you can begin treatment. During the early stages, they can prescribe glasses or contact lenses to correct your vision and alleviate the symptoms. Contacts are particularly effective at preventing the cornea’s shape from worsening.

If these corrective devices no longer work as the condition progresses, an eye doctor can perform corneal collagen cross-linking. This procedure involves applying a vitamin B solution to the eye and activating it with an ultraviolet light for approximately 30 minutes. This stimulates collagen formation, helping repair damage to the cornea and potentially prevent future problems. In more advanced cases, corneal transplant surgery may be necessary.

If you have a family history of keratoconus, prioritize your eye health by contacting Staarmann Family Vision Center Inc. in Fairfield, OH. This vision center offers a variety of services, including prescription contact lenses for patients with keratoconus. Their eye doctors are committed to helping you find solutions to your vision problems. Visit the website for more information about their services, and call (513) 874-1718 to schedule an appointment.