What Can I Do to Prevent Keratoconus?

There are different eye conditions, and getting any of them can be shocking and life-changing. Thus, you need to take charge of your eye health and be proactive in preventing these conditions. You can do this by taking practical steps like scheduling regular comprehensive eye exams. It lets you catch the signs of the eye condition early and prevent the disease from progressing.

One such condition you can prevent is keratoconus. Fortunately, the evolution of the disease is slow, and there are ways to mitigate it. Here are some facts about keratoconus that will help you understand it better and stop its progression.

What Is Keratoconus?

It is a condition that causes the eye’s outer layer to bulge out in a cone shape instead of the usual dome. It happens when your cornea lacks adequate antioxidants, causing its cells to produce harmful by-products. These weaken the tiny protein fibers or collagen that hold the cornea in place.

It causes the cornea to lose its dome shape and bulge in a cone shape. If antioxidants are present in the cornea, they eliminate the harmful by-products and protect the collagen fibers. It keeps the eye healthy and conserves its dome shape.

Causes of Keratoconus

There is no clear cause of keratoconus. However, researchers know that some cases are genetic. Other health conditions can cause you to have a predisposition to keratoconus. These include retinitis pigmentosa, Down syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 

Consult your eye doctor if you notice a predisposition to any of them. They will help you find ways to counteract them. Other causes may include age, race, and family history.

Prevention of Keratoconus

In most cases, it may be hard to prevent keratoconus. However, taking precautions can reduce your chances of getting the disease. These include:

• Not Rubbing Your Eyes

Rubbing your eyes can cause the tiny protein fibers to weaken over time. It destabilizes the cornea, causing it to lose its dome shape. It also makes it progress faster after onset. Hence, you need to stop the habit.

Schedule an eye exam if the urge to rub your eyes seems uncontrollable. There may be an underlying cause that the doctor can help treat and mitigate keratoconus.

• Getting Treatment

Allergies can cause inflammation in the eyes. They also cause discomfort that can cause you to rub your eyes. The inflammation and the rubbing of the eyes can break down the tissue in the cornea. Thus, get treatment when you have allergies. It will prevent the weakening of the cornea and the onset of keratoconus.

• Protect Your Eyes From UV Rays

Wear sunglasses when you are out in the sun. UV rays accelerate the production of harmful by-products in the eye. These break down the collagen in the cornea, causing it to lose its dome shape. The rule of thumb is to wear sunglasses that provide at least 99 percent protection. If possible, look for 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.

• Contact Lens Fitting

Make sure that your contact lenses fit well. Before getting contact lenses and after your comprehensive eye exam, get a contact fitting. It will protect your cornea from ill-fitting lenses. They not only bring discomfort but also injure the cornea, weakening and damaging the fibers.

For more information on preventing keratoconus, call Manheim Family Eye Care at (717) 423-8400 to reach our Manheim, Pennsylvania office.