The normal cornea should be clear, dome-shaped window at the front of your eye. It directs light into the eye. Keratoconus happens when the corneal become thin and bulge like a cone. Due to change of shape of cornea causes light rays out of focus which results to blurred and distorted vision.

The cause for keratoconus isn’t yet know but in some cases it appears to be genetic. About 1 out to 10 people with keratoconus have a parent who has this condition too. Keratoconus often starts appear to people who are in their late teens to early 20s. The vision symptoms slowly get worse over a period of about 10 to 20 years.

Keratoconus can be diagnosed through normal eye checkup through cornea examination and measuring its curve. Keratoconus treatment depends on the symptoms patient encounters. When symptoms are mild, vision can be corrected with eye glasses but later special hard contact lens might be preferred to keep vision in proper focus.

Keratoconus might be also treated through Intacs, where a small curved device is inserted in cornea to help flatten the curve of cornea and improve vision.

Cross- linking treatment is when ophthalmologist uses special UV light and eye drops to strengthen the cornea. This help to flatten or stiffen a cornea hence keeping it from bulging further.

When symptoms are much severe, cornea transplant might be preferred to replace a damaged cornea with a healthy donor cornea tissue.