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Keratoconus

Keratoconus is an eye condition characterised by the re-shaping of the cornea.

The clear window at the front of the eye is called the cornea. It may appear coloured but the colouring is the muscle inside our eye called the iris – this makes our pupil. Think of our cornea as a window and the iris as the curtains.  

Our cornea should be round like a soccer ball. In keratoconus the cornea becomes shaped more like a cone or a rugby ball. The first sign of this is often an increase in your astigmatism. This can often be resolved with glasses but as keratoconus progresses your vison becomes distorted to a degree that can’t be corrected with glasses.

The signs of keratoconus can generally be detected by your optometrist with routine screening. Detecting the condition early is vital as treatments such as collagen cross linking can halt the progression of the disease.

Kertoconus often runs in families so it is important that the family members of sufferers are checked by their optometrist.

Many patients with keratoconus rub their eyes due to allergies. Eye rubbing makes keratoconus worse, so treating any ocular allergy and stopping rubbing is a vital part of managing the disease.

QEI Clinic’s Doctors are experts in diagnosing and treating keratoconus.

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