Ask Our Citrus Heights Eye Doctors: Is There A Cure For Keratoconus?
Is your vision blurry or cloudy? Is it hard to drive at night because you can’t clearly make out street lights or other cars? Do you get headaches a lot, especially when reading? Does your prescription change every time you visit your eye doctor?
If you’ve had keratoconus for a while, you know how much these things affect your life every day. Maybe you’re on your way to an important meeting and feel frustrated at the difficulty you have driving there. Perhaps reading your favorite book has become painful (or you avoid it completely). Sound familiar? We can help.
Dr. Fuerst, Coen, Lilley or Larson and the knowledgeable, caring staff at Specialty Lens and Keratoconus Center at EYEcenter Optometric treat patients from the entire Sacramento, California area. Even if you’ve tried other solutions without any improvement, talk to us.
Is There A Cure For Keratoconus?
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for keratoconus. But don’t lose hope! Dr. Fuerst, Coen, Lilley or Larson’s goal is to manage your condition by giving you the right tools for clear vision. Scleral lenses are one of the best, most effective ways to do that.
Do Scleral Lenses Cure Keratoconus?
If your case of keratoconus is at an early stage, standard eyeglasses and contact lenses may be enough. But once your condition starts to progress, you’ll find that even with basic glasses and contacts, blurry vision, headaches, and other symptoms are still there. That’s when scleral lenses can help.
Since keratoconus is caused by an irregular shaped cornea, these custom-made lenses are especially effective. Scleral lenses gently reshape your cornea into its proper round shape, letting light incorrectly, resulting in clear vision. While scleral lenses don’t cure keratoconus, they can give you better vision.
Does Corneal Crosslinking Cure Keratoconus?
Corneal Crosslinking, also called CXL, can be a great option for treating keratoconus. That’s because this procedure makes the cornea flatter and stronger, changing it to a rounder shape, which improves your vision.
However, CXL is not a cure. It is a minimally invasive, in-office procedure involving numbing eye drops and a special UV light. Corneal Crosslinking may prevent your cornea from developing into a cone shape, but it does not completely restore any previous effects of the condition. You may still need to wear glasses or contacts to see clearly even after undergoing CXL.
Do Intacs Cure Keratoconus?
Intacs® are tiny devices that are placed inside the cornea to gently flatten and reshape it. It’s a surgical procedure performed by your eye doctor. It doesn’t cure keratoconus, though. It can give you clear vision so long as the devices remain in place. If they’re removed at some point, your vision will go back to what it was before. In some cases, your eye doctor will recommend other treatments in combination with Intacs to boost the chances of success.
Why Is There No Cure For Keratoconus?
Keratoconus isn’t a condition that can be permanently treated with medications or surgery. It’s a chronic eye disorder, which unfortunately means it’s for life. The most advanced medical options aren’t magic. It takes time, patience, and the determination to find the right solution for you.
The doctor’s ultimate goal is to give you the best vision possible, whether you have a mild or advanced case of keratoconus. At Specialty Lens and Keratoconus Center at EYEcenter Optometric, we see patients with keratoconus all the time, so even after treatment, you won’t be alone. We’ll continue to monitor your condition as time goes on.
When Will There Be A Cure For Keratoconus?
There’s simply no way to know. Doctors, researchers, hospitals, universities, and pharmaceutical companies are all working together to create new technologies and advanced solutions in the hopes of finding a cure.
Can Keratoconus Go Away On Its Own?
Keratoconus does not fade on its own. The shape of your cornea can’t permanently change, even with medications, special contact lenses, or surgery. Remember, we have various options for reshaping your cornea, but keratoconus is a chronic, lifelong disorder.
So don’t wait until things get worse. Talk to us about how we can help you now. Let us give you a better vision today.