Keratoconus Treatment with our Manchester Optometrist
If you can imagine what the vision through a camera lens would look like if you bent the lens out of shape, you have some idea of what keratoconus can do to your vision. This disorder takes its names from the characteristic cone-like or irregular bulge of the corneas that impairs eyesight. But as distressing as this condition may be, the appropriate treatment can help you enjoy clear vision in spite of keratoconus — and here at Prudhomme Vision, your optometrist in Manchester CT can provide that treatment.
Distorted Corneas Mean Distorted Vision
Why would your corneas develop keratoconus? Scientists are still somewhat stumped as to why some people are plagued by this corneal disorder. It may be that they’ve inherited a tendency toward thin or weak corneal tissue, or that oxidative damage has weakened the tissue over time. Obsessive eye rubbing has even been implicated as a factor. But whatever the cause, the basic result is the same. The corneas lose their perfectly spherical shape and begin to bulge outward, starting in adolescence and progressing throughout young adulthood.
Since the shape of the corneas has a direct effect on how incoming light enters the eye, this abnormality tends to cause significant myopia (nearsightedness) and/or astigmatism. To make matters worse, sometimes the bulging cornea may develop “cracks” that aggravate your vision problems until they heal.
How Our Optometry Center Can Help
Keratoconus isn’t reversible, but the vision issues it causes can be corrected. Our optometry center can perform a precise measurement of your corneal curvature, along with refractive evaluation and vision testing, to determine how your vision is being affected. Our team of optometrists can then make specific treatment recommendations to compensate for the corneal irregularities.
Eyeglasses are the simplest corrective option for keratoconus-related myopia and astigmatism. Contact lenses are also a possibility, but if you keratoconus has reached a certain degree, you may not be able to use ordinary soft lenses or even regular-sized gas permeable contacts. In these cases, scleral contact lenses, which extend over the cornea instead of resting on top of it, can be a great alternative for correcting your vision. Even the most severe keratoconus may respond to more advanced medical techniques; we’ll be happy to co-manage any procedures that require a specialist.
Call Your Optometrist in Manchester CT
Keratoconus can be a formidable opponent, but the right optometrist in Manchester CT can make all the difference. Do you think your corneas might need some extra help coping with keratoconus? If so, call Prudhomme Vision at (860) 644-3364 and arrange an appointment at our clinic. We’re ready to help you regain your visual clarity!