Keratoconus Treatment in Aspen Hill, MD and Fairfax, VA
Welcome to Dr. Howard Budner & Associates, where we provide comprehensive vision care, including care for vision problems like keratoconus. If you suffer from keratoconus, or bulging of the cornea, we can help. Learn about keratoconus symptoms, diagnosis, and our treatment options.
What is Keratoconus?
Keratoconus is a condition in which the eye's cornea is unable to hold its dome shape and instead bulges out. When the cornea does not have enough antioxidants, the eye is unable to protect the existing corneal collagen fibers. Over time, the cornea loses its shape.
This eye condition tends to run in families, and often emerges during teenage years. If you know that keratoconus runs in your family, we recommend that you send your child for an annual keratoconus screening beginning at the age of 10. This way, we can make sure that your child's eyes are healthy, and diagnose this disease as soon as it emerges.
Symptoms of Keratoconus
Keratoconus affects your vision, so if you notice sudden changes to your vision, it could be caused by this eye condition. Symptoms of keratoconus include:
- Change of vision in one eye
- Double vision when looking through one eye
- Distortion of objects far and near
- Halos appearing around bright lights
- Streaks coming from lights
- "Triple ghost" images
- Blurred vision
If you are suffering from any of the following symptoms, we recommend that you arrange for a keratoconus screening with our eye doctor. We can measure the shape of your cornea to determine whether your symptoms are caused by keratoconus or have another underlying cause.
Keratoconus Treatment
When this eye condition is mild, contact lenses and eyeglasses can provide relief. As the disease advances, there are several treatment options. We can discuss them with you, recommend the best one, and answer any questions you have in an eye appointment.
Many patients find relief from contact lenses, typically custom soft contact lenses or gas permeable contact lenses. These correct vision, are comfortable to wear, and help the cornea find needed stability. Hybrid lenses, which have a firm center and a soft edge, also provide relief.
Corneal inserts known as intacts provide relief when eyeglasses or contacts can no longer control keratoconus. Our eye doctor can implant the intacs in as little as 10 minutes, and remove or replace them if it becomes necessary.
Finally, eye surgeries such as corneal crosslinking or corneal replacement can provide relief if you have tried the other treatment options and your vision is worsening.
Whether it is by treating keratoconus, providing an eye exam, or discussing your vision with you, we are here to help. If there is anything we can assist you with, or if you think that you suffer from keratoconus, do not hesitate to give us a call and schedule an appointment with our optometrist. The sooner you begin treatment, the better your eye health. Call (301) 438-0555 for our Aspen Hill, MD location, or (703) 266-8400 for our Fairfax, VA location.