Find it before it's too late (keratoconus)

The cornea is the transparent, oval-shaped part that is located at the front of the eye, and it is considered with the tear layer covering it the most important part in vision that works to collect light and focus it on the retina, and any disorder that affects the cornea leads to a severe decrease in visual acuity or complete blindness in certain cases . - With the change of the cornea from its oval shape to a conical shape and its distortion, which leads to distortion of the visual image and a successive decrease in the strength of vision. Keratoconus is an idiopathic disease that has no main cause, while studies have proven that there are contributing factors to the disease, the most important of which are genetic factors. As it is common to notice the disease in more than one family member, and if they are not outwardly affected, then they may be carriers of the disease. - It is also attributed that the sensitivity of the eye and spring conjunctivitis leading to the constant itching of the eye changes the curvature of the cornea to the conical shape. Diagnosis of the disease begins by clinical examination and topographic imaging of the corneal surface in children from eight years old, with an increase and exacerbation in adolescence from the age of sixteen to twenty-five years of age, although recent studies confirm the continuity of the change of keratopathy over 35 years. There are several symptoms that a person with keratoconus feels, including: 1- Do you feel unstable and uncomfortable in the size of your glasses? 2- Do you suffer from the scattering of the opposite lighting and the lights of the vehicles at night with the presence of halos around things? 3- Do you notice a rapid decrease in visual acuity? 4- Do you face difficulty seeing even with medical glasses? 5- Do you have difficulty wearing contact lenses? Keratoconus treatment begins with the prevention of people with vernal conjunctivitis by administering therapies and drug combinations to reduce eye itching, recurrent infections and allergic attacks. As for when diagnosing someone with keratoconus; The treatment varies according to the amount of dentation and the change in the shape of the cornea that determine the level and degree of the disease: In the early stages of the disease, treatment was used in the past by using hard contact lenses and waiting for the disease to develop until the occurrence of opacity in the cornea and then corneal transplantation from a donor. - The results of recent studies and research in this regard have proven the medical benefit of strengthening the cornea. The corneal fixation procedure has become the cornerstone of treating this disease. - Corneal fixation, which is done by removing the surface cells of the cornea and then saturating the cornea with vitamin B2; To protect the internal parts while shedding ultraviolet rays for a certain period of time, working to double the chemical bonds between the corneal fibers, which work to harden them and reduce their indentation. It is possible to associate the sclerotherapy process with the patient disposing of his medical glasses in the event that the disease is discovered in its early stages. In the middle stage of the disease, treatment is between wearing rigid contact lenses and implanting visual acuity rings. Severe or advanced cases, the only treatment option is corneal transplantation and exposure to problems resulting from the body's rejection of the donated cornea and the side effects of the drugs used. Therefore, early diagnosis and prompt treatment is the main factor in the prevention and treatment of the disease, and the best way to reduce corneal transplantation.