HEALTH WATCH CONDITIONS 101 What is keratoconus?

Keratoconus is an eye disorder where the cornea — the clear surface on the front of the eye — thins and gradually bulges out into a cone shape, which can cause blurred vision and light sensitivity.

Though keratoconus often affects both eyes, it usually affects one worse than the other. The condition generally starts to affect people between the ages of 10 and 25, and may continue to slowly progress for another 10 years or longer.

According to the Mayo Clinic: “In the early stages of keratoconus, you might be able to correct vision problems with glasses or soft contact lenses. Later, you may have to be fitted with rigid, gas permeable contact lenses or other types of lenses, such as scleral lenses. If your condition progresses to an advanced stage, you may need a cornea transplant. A new treatment called corneal collagen cross-linking may help to slow or stop keratoconus from progressing, possibly preventing the need for a future cornea transplant. This treatment may be offered in addition to the vision correction options above.”

The Mayo Clinic recommends seeing an ophthalmologist or optometrist if you notice your eyesight rapidly worsening, which can be caused by astigmatism — an irregular curvature of the eye. Your eye doctor may look for signs of keratoconus during routine exams.

The following factors may increase your risk developing keratoconus:

• Having a family history of keratoconus.

• Rubbing your eyes vigorously.

• Having certain conditions, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Down syndrome, Ehlers-danlos syndrome, hay fever and asthma.