What is Keratoconus?
If the cornea becomes thin, it may bulge like a cone or become very irregular, resulting in an inability to focus an image clearly. This is known as keratoconus. It does not trigger blindness but can lead to incapacitating vision loss.
Causes of Keratoconus
The cause of keratoconus continues to be undetermined, though latest research appears to suggest that it may stem from a mixture of genetic and environmental influences.
Several cases of keratoconus have a genetic factor and research suggests that around 20% of keratoconus patients have affected relatives. Other genetic diseases are linked to keratoconus, such as, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Trisomy 21 (Down’s Syndrome) and Marfan’s Syndrome.
Symptoms of Keratoconus
Keratoconus may cause vision to become blurry and distorted, making all sorts of daily tasks like seeing, reading, and driving quite difficult. It does not cause complete blindness, but if left untreated, keratoconus can lead to so much restricted, distorted vision that it can meet the definition of legal blindness.
