What Causes Keratoconus?

Doctors do not know for sure why people have keratoconus. In some cases, it appears to be genetic (passed down in families). About 1 out of 10 people with keratoconus have a parent who has it too. Keratonconus is also associated with:

• eye allergies
• excessive eye rubbing, and
• connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Keratoconus often starts when people are in their late teens to early 20s. The vision symptoms slowly get worse over a period of about 10 to 20 years.