It's never fun to have your vision change, and it becomes a lot more personal when it begins affecting the clarity of your eyesight. One of these conditions causes a gradual cornea thinning and may cause distortion or vague vision perception. These individuals may find it harder to see, even with corrective lenses. One needs to understand the symptoms, the condition, and their treatment options if they ever go through these changes. Let’s look at how this eye condition occurs and how it can be dealt with. This is Keratoconus. It is caused by the cone-shaped bulging of the cornea, which is the transparent front part of the eye.
If untreated, Keratoconus can eventually lead to considerable visual loss. Blurred vision is the first symptom, and whoever is diagnosed with it, there are multiple treatment options in Northridge for Keratoconus to manage the condition and permanently improve vision. For Keratoconus, these are the most popular treatments available:
1. Glasses and Soft Contact Lenses
Corrective lenses are the best way to fix vision in the beginning stages of Keratoconus. They are practical and helpful as long as the condition is handled and controlled. However, as the condition progresses and the cornea destroys itself, these lenses may no longer be valid.
For the early stages, wearing spectacles is an effective external method of vision correction.
2. Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses
As keratoconus symptoms worsen, soft contact lenses provide insufficient correction. Due to the lens design, which extends the surface over the cornea. RGP lenses also enhance vision and are thus a popular option. Northridge is said to be one of the most common places where RGP lenses are overworked as they are effective and tend to be more comfortable than expected.
3. Scleral Lenses
In advanced cases of Keratoconus, physicians recommend the use of scleral lenses. These larger lenses cover the cornea and focus on the sclera to provide vision. They are perfect for people suffering from severe corneal distortions or patients who cannot tolerate most traditional contact lenses.
4. Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL)
Cross-linking of the cornea is a procedure that seeks to stop Keratoconus from progressing. It is a fairly simple procedure that uses riboflavin (vitamin B2) eye drops and UV lamps to treat the cornea.
5. Intacs (Corneal Implants)
Intacs are small, clear ring segments that are surgically implanted into the cornea to treat astigmatism. This form of surgery is usually done on patients with moderate unmanaged Keratoconus.
6. Corneal Transplantation (Keratoplasty)
In more advanced cases of Keratoconus, a corneal transplant may be the only option if other techniques fail. This surgical procedure replaces the cornea with a new one from a donor.
7. Topography-Guided Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK)
PRK is a type of laser treatment for the eye used for keratoconus patients who now have stable corneas. With this type of treatment, surgery is done to the surface of the cornea to improve refractive weaknesses.
Conclusion
Although Keratoconus presents some challenging adjustments, patients living in Northridge are fortunate to have access to an array of treatment options that can help them alleviate the condition's negative impacts. They can choose between glasses, custom-made contact lenses, or surgery.
If you think you have keratoconus, it's very important to go to an eye doctor. They can recommend the best treatment.
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