Have you experienced a change to your vision? Perhaps you have problems with glare, light sensitivity or notice what looks like double images. If this is the case, you may be experiencing changes due to an eye condition called keratoconus. This condition is a disorder of the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye. The cornea becomes thinned in certain areas and as it does, it bulges out into a cone shape.
With an abnormally shaped cornea, vision becomes distorted and patients will notice halos around lights, glare, and problems driving at night. Symptoms typically first appear during puberty or the late teens. In later stages, it can even cause pain in the eye.
At Riverdale Vision Care, we offer solutions for patients at any stage of this condition. We can detect and manage the condition with a machine called a topographer, which measures changes to the front surface of the eye. In early keratoconus, glasses or specialty contact lenses can be all that is needed to correct vision. Collagen cross linking is an FDA approved treatment that stops the condition from progressing by strengthening the weakened areas of the cornea.
Given the risk of progression in patients during childhood and adolescence, early intervention is critical to preserve a lifetime of good vision. Our doctors recognize when a patient would benefit from this procedure and will refer when it is needed. Once the condition progresses, a corneal transplant may be necessary to restore vision.
