What is it like Living with Keratoconus?
Does computer use make Keratoconus worse?
In most cases, Keratoconus is detected during a routine eye exam.
Corneal crosslinking is the only proven means to stop Keratoconus from progressing.
Often, optometrists and ophthalmologists will work together to diagnose, monitor and treat Keratoconus.
Q: I have Keratoconus, and currently I wear hard rigid gas permeable(RGP) lenses.
Eye rubbing may increase your risk of developing Keratoconus or make your Keratoconus worse.
Unfortunately, people with Keratoconus currently are not allowed to serve in
the United States military.
Additionally, ophthalmic conditions such as Keratoconus and aniseikonia may not be accurately corrected with glasses.
However, the best type of contact lens for Keratoconus can vary from person to person.
Watch this video on Olympic bobsledder Steve Holcomb's Keratoconus treatment that gave him 20/20 vision.
Keratoconus continues to progress,
and contacts must be updated to keep up with the progressing disease.
People with a slight case of Keratoconus may not need any lenses for additional vision correction.
People who have a condition called Keratoconus, where the cornea is cone-shaped
and causes extreme visual distortion.
It's unclear whether eye rubbing is a cause or a symptom of Keratoconus, or perhaps both.
Q: If I have any Keratoconus treatment, will I need to wear contacts or glasses afterwards?
The cause of Keratoconus is not fully understood,
but risk factors include eye rubbing, allergies, and heredity.
Many optometrists and ophthalmologists recommend scleral contact lenses for a variety of hard-to-fit eyes,
including eyes with Keratoconus.
Follow-up exams and fitting contact lenses for Keratoconus, on the other hand,
more frequently are performed by an optometrist(OD).
Keratoconus is a progressive disease,
there must be some medical intervention to stop it, such as CXL corneal crosslinking.
Q: I have been diagnosed with the beginning stage of Keratoconus and was fitted with rigid gas permeable lenses.
Keratoconus(a thin, cone-shaped cornea)
and glaucoma(increased eye pressure) are also more common, as are refractive errors requiring glasses or contacts.
If you have Keratoconus, ask your recruitment officer for the latest information on your eligibility to serve,
since policies can change.
The cost of Intacs and other corneal insert or
corneal implant surgery for Keratoconus can run $1,500 to $2,500 per eye.
Because there is no outright cure,
management of the disease can extend for decades, adding to the cumulative cost of Keratoconus.
These were the first contact lenses in general use but
are now mainly used to treat disorders of the cornea(like Keratoconus).
The examination, measurements, fitting and materials for the treatment of Keratoconus with contact lenses often run $2,000 to $4,000 per eye.
It appears this prohibition applies even if your Keratoconus was managed successfully with corneal insert surgery,
corneal cross-linking or other corrective surgery.
Even if you don't have any risk factors or signs of Keratoconus, it's not a good idea to rub your eyes.
In most cases, the cost of eye exams and Keratoconus surgery performed in the U.S. is fully
or partially covered by health insurance.