Do you rub your eyes often? Have you been changing your glasses frequently? And is the astigmatic or cylindrical component of the change quite large? Then, take care, it may not just be a refractive error; it might be keratoconus, a progressive eye disease.
"Often we find people with keratoconus seeking a solution through LASIK (laser treatment) for their rapidly progressing myopia," says Dr. Anand Parthasarathy, senior eye surgeon. Rapidly developing myopia, with a large component of astigmatism could be a sign of keratoconus. Consider the case of Ganesh, a 23-year-old BPO executive, who noticed his vision was getting blurred. He went to a nearby optician who prescribed a pair of spectacles; but even with the glasses, his vision was not clear. When he finally consulted an eye doctor, he was told that he had keratoconus.
About the problem
The cornea, the clear transparent layer in front of the eye, is normally spherical. But, sometimes, the cornea becomes conical. This is keratoconus, and this reduces the quality of vision.
Apparently, keratoconus or conical cornea, a disabling eye disease affects as many as 1 in 1,000 persons. Keratoconus generally strikes teenagers and young adults more than older patients. As keratoconus progresses, the quality of vision deteriorates, and even contact lenses or glasses may not provide a satisfactory solution. Untreated keratoconus can damage vision.
"The youngest patient (with keratoconus) that I have is a 12-year-old", informs Dr. Anand Parthasarathy. Keratoconus could be triggered by constant rubbing of the eyes, especially if the cornea is weak; or it could be a genetic predisposition. People with keratoconus often tend to have systemic allergies such as asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, skin allergies, and an urge to rub their eyes.
However, keratoconus can be successfully managed with new clinical and surgical techniques. "Collagen cross-linking (to stop progression of the disease), implantable contact lens - rigid or piggy back lenses (to correct the refractive error) and intra corneal ring segments (rings to stabilise the cornea) - and rose K lens (special custom made imported contact lens for keratoconus) are treatment options depending on the severity of the case," says Dr. S. Prashanth, consultant eye surgeon. In advanced cases, where nothing will work, there is no recourse but corneal transplant.
Spot the symptoms
Keratoconus in one eye can result in lazy eye (ambylopia), and even squint. "Parents should keep a watch on their kids and spot signs of eye trouble," stresses Dr. A. G. Ramesh, opthalmologist and eye surgeon. For instance, if your child keeps tilting his head while watching television, it means he is using only one eye, as the other eye has become weaker or lazy. Parents can even test if their kids are using both their eyes by asking the child to close one eye and making him read the words on a hoarding or on television. Besides, you can get the child to sit in front of a window, and look at the reflection of the window, tubelight or some such thing in the child's eye. "If this reflection is distorted or blurred, contact an ophthalmologist immediately," advises Dr. Ramesh.
Moreover, eye checks-ups conducted in schools should be exhaustive, he feels. The same applies to people who come to renew their contact lenses or spectacles, or complain about improperly fitting lenses. Rather than just measuring the refractive error, a thorough eye examination should be done. Dr. Ramesh sums it up succinctly, "I wish people gave as much attention and significance to their eyes as they do for their spectacle frames".
Dos and Dont's
Avoid rubbing your eyes.
Get a comprehensive eye examination done annually, especially if you have had to change your glasses frequently.
If you have a close relative with keratoconus, get your eyes examined.
Parents should watch for signs that indicate the child is using one eye more than the other; also check for distortion or blurring of the reflected image of objects in the eye.
If a child complains of blurred vision, seeing objects in doubles or multiples, repeated headache, irritation, redness, or watering of the eye, take him to an ophthalmologist.
Contact lens should be fitted with the help of a keratometer and proper corneal topography should be done.
