Stephen Curry is one of the best NBA stars of the modern era. His reputation for shooting three-pointers for his team is nothing short of legendary. That’s why many fans were surprised to find out he has an eye condition called keratoconus.
Keratoconus occurs when the cornea becomes thin and takes on a cone shape, which causes vision distortion. In this post, eyeglasses provider Opti-Care provides five fast facts about keratoconus.
Fact #1: Its Cause Is Unknown
The exact cause of keratoconus is difficult to determine. The prevalent theory is that it’s genetic. If you happen to have keratoconus, there’s a high probability that someone in your family also has the condition.
Fact #2: Its Progression Varies
Keratoconus is usually diagnosed during adolescence. However, it can also emerge in childhood or adulthood. Biological changes such as puberty and pregnancy can trigger the disease. Regardless of the age of the patient, the progression of keratoconus is unpredictable.
Fact #3: It Does Not Cause Blindness
While keratoconus causes blurry vision, it doesn’t cause blindness. If your vision starts to get worse, then you may have a different condition and it’s highly recommended that you visit an eye doctor as soon as you can.
Fact #4: Decreased Eye Rubbing Helps
Eye rubbing is a bad habit. As tempting as it may be, avoid rubbing your eyes as much as possible to prevent keratoconus’ progression.
Fact #5: Keratoconus Patients Can Be Mistaken For Allergy Patients
Due to the fact that keratoconus patients often have allergies, they’re often mistaken for allergy patients. This can lead to a misdiagnosis.
Treatments
Most treatments for keratoconus often involve various types of contact lenses, such as custom soft lenses, gas permeable lenses, hybrid contact lenses and prosthetic lenses. However, in extreme cases, medical treatments and surgery may be required such as a topography-guided conductive keratoplasty, corneal crosslinking and even corneal transplants in extreme cases when the patient cannot tolerate rigid contact lenses.
For the best optometry services, turn to Opti-Care for your visual health needs. We are your number one provider of myopia control and dry eye treatments. Give us a call at (410) 600-3173 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment. We serve clients in Westminster, MD, and nearby areas.