A healthy cornea is round like a ball. If the cornea begins to thin, it can start to bulge into a cone shape. This is a condition called keratoconus. Due to the cone shape of the cornea, the light deflects when it enters the retina, resulting in distorted vision. Fortunately, the professionals at Dr. Landrio & Associates can treat the condition.
Treating Keratoconus
There are several treatments for keratoconus. The treatment method that your optometrist chooses would depend on the severity of your condition. In some cases, your eye doctor will need to try a few treatment methods until they find the one that is the most effective.
- Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses: Gas-permeable contacts are rigid; therefore, they will hold your cornea in a round shape. This will keep it from bulging. Also, gas-permeable lenses provide sharper vision than soft lenses, which will help you see more clearly.
- Piggyback Contacts Lenses: Trying to fit a round contact over a cone-shaped cornea can cause discomfort. A piggyback contact involves fitting a soft lens over the cornea and then a gas-permeable lens over it. The soft lens will provide the cushion necessary to make the contacts comfortable.
- Scleral Lenses: It can be impossible to fit a soft lens over a cone-shaped cornea. Scleral lenses don't fit over the cornea. Instead, they rest on the white of your eye and vault over the cornea. This makes it possible to improve your vision comfortably.
- Hybrid Lenses: Hybrid lenses are rigid in the center, and the outer area is soft. If you find gas-permeable lenses to be uncomfortable, hybrid lenses are an option.
- Prosthetic Lenses: Prosthetic lenses are often prescribed for patients with advanced keratoconus. To make these contacts, a 3-D scan of your eye would be taken so that every curvature and irregularity is mapped. This allows your optometrist to have a lens designed that fit your eyes perfectly.
- Corneal Crosslinking: There are two types of crosslinking. Epithelium-off involves removing the outer layer of the cornea to allow vitamin D and riboflavin to enter the cornea and is then activated with a UV light. The second type is epithelium-on. This method takes longer for the riboflavin to penetrate the cornea; however, there is less risk of infection, and your vision will be restored faster.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
If you have been diagnosed with keratoconus, the eye care specialists at Dr. Landrio & Associates in Merrick can help. We can create a treatment plan to help improve your vision as comfortably as possible. To schedule an appointment, give us a call today at 516-546-4800!