Keratoconus Diagnosis and Treatment

Keratoconus can be diagnosed through a routine eye exam. Your ophthalmologist will examine your cornea, and may measure its curvature. This helps show if there is a change in its shape. Your ophthalmologist may also map your cornea’s surface using a special computer. This detailed image shows the condition of the cornea’s surface.

How Is Keratoconus Treated?

Keratoconus treatment depends on your symptoms. When your symptoms are mild, your vision can be corrected with eyeglasses. Later you may need to wear special hard contact lenses to help keep vision in proper focus.

Here are other ways that your ophthalmologist might treat keratoconus:

• Intacs. This is a small curved device that your ophthalmologist surgically puts in your cornea. Intacs help flatten the curvature of your cornea to improve vision.

• Collagen cross-linking. Your ophthalmologist uses a special UV light and eye drops to strengthen the cornea. Doing this helps to flatten or stiffen your cornea, keeping it from bulging further.

• Corneal transplant. When symptoms are severe, your ophthalmologist may suggest a corneal transplant. Your ophthalmologist replaces all or part of your diseased cornea with healthy donor cornea tissue.

Do not rub your eyes!

With keratoconus, try to avoid rubbing your eyes. This can damage thin corneal tissue and make your symptoms worse.

If you have itchy eyes that cause you to rub, speak to your ophthalmologist about medicines to control your allergies.