{"id":7297,"date":"2020-08-09T08:02:40","date_gmt":"2020-08-09T08:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=7297"},"modified":"2022-04-12T12:57:29","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T12:57:29","slug":"keratoconus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/guide-to-corneal-diseases\/keratoconus\/","title":{"rendered":"Keratoconus"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is keratoconus?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Keratoconus is a progressive disease that causes thinning and reshaping of the cornea, the front part of your eye.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In a healthy eye, the cornea is clear and dome-shaped. When keratoconus develops, the cornea becomes thin and begins to bulge like a cone. This distorted shape causes blurry and distorted vision as the light that enters the eye can no longer properly focus onto the retina.<\/p>\n

Keratoconus usually causes mild to severe astigmatism<\/a>, and nearsightedness<\/a>, making reading and driving difficult. Keratoconus can also cause corneal swelling and scarring, and even vision loss.<\/b><\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of keratoconus?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Keratoconus is often diagnosed among teens and young adults, and progresses for up to 20 years until it plateaus. Symptoms usually start out mild and become progressively worse over time\u2014 usually over a decade or two. In some cases, keratoconus symptoms progress rapidly.<\/p>\n

Keratoconus frequently affects both eyes, and can lead to different optical prescriptions between the two eyes.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of keratoconus may change over time, and can differ in each eye.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In its early stages<\/strong>, symptoms are generally mild, and may include:<\/p>\n