Park Ridge Location

(847) 823-2127

Secondary Office

800-462-8749

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is an eye condition that can cause a lot of problems for your eyes and eyesight. It generally starts in younger patients, and it can progress from there and cause a lot of vision problems and symptoms. It's important for this condition to be discovered by an eye specialist and to be treated as needed. The first step in this is to get an eye exam from an ophthalmologist. When you have keratoconus in Park Ridge, Illinois, the eye care professionals at Eye Specialists of Illinois are ready to assist you.

Keratoconus

What Is Keratoconus?

This is a condition that affects the corneas. The cornea is a tissue that is located on the outside of the front of your eye to protect it. This tissue is clear, but it serves as a barrier to keep things like germs and dirt out of your eyes. When you have this condition, the cornea gets thinner. As it does so, it will develop a bulge in it that sticks out away from the eye. As it progresses, the bulging cornea will become cone-shaped. When this happens, it causes blurry vision as well as higher light sensitivity. It often begins in patients when there are from 10 to 25 years old. Once it starts, it can progress for 10 years or more and will keep getting worse. 

The Stages of Keratoconus

This eye condition often starts very slowly. The patient won't notice any major vision changes and can often wear regular contacts for vision correction. However, as it gets worse, the bulging cornea will start to affect vision more, and the patient will need to wear either glasses or hard-to-fit contacts to account for the shape of the tissue. Eventually, the patient may need to see an eye surgeon to perform a cornea transplant. Seeing an eye specialist to assess the severity of the keratoconus is needed so that the condition can be monitored and treated. 

Schedule an Appointment with Our Eye Doctor in Park Ridge, IL

Call Eye Specialists of Illinois today at (847) 823-2127 for more information or to schedule an appointment with our eye doctor. 

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