Keratoconus refers to the thinning and elongation of the cornea, the transparent layers over the eye, into a cone-like shape. That results in blurred vision. Other symptoms include vision difficulties at night and objects appearing to have a glare or halos around them.
If you have keratoconus, several options are available.
For a mild or moderate condition, eyeglasses or soft contact lenses will help. Some people do better with rigid gas permeable (hard) contact lenses. If contact lenses hurt your cornea, scleral lenses are recommended. They vault over the cornea and rest on the sclera, the white part of the eye. For more severe cases of keratoconus, laser treatment and corneal transplants are recommended.
Hygiene for Scleral-Lens Wearers in the Coronavirus Era
As always, hygiene is paramount when you handle and wear scleral lenses, as it is with soft and hard lenses. This means thoroughly washing your hands before touching the lenses, and cleaning and rinsing the lenses with recommended solutions.
Wearing sclerals and other contact lenses during the coronavirus pandemic remains as safe as ever, but it’s even more important now to observe hygiene guidelines. In fact, you can take extra precautions to lower the risk of inadvertently transmitting the coronavirus to your eyes, from where it can enter your body.
Consider taking these additional preventative steps:
- Use disinfectant wipes to clean the counters and other surfaces where you place the scleral-lens cases and solutions. This includes disinfecting the cases and containers of solutions before using.
- Wash your hands before touching your eyes or removing your lenses.
- Don’t touch the area on/near your eye and then someone else’s, or vice versa.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes to prevent keratoconus from developing or worsening, while also reducing the risk of getting infected by coronavirus.
If you have keratoconus and are concerned about maintaining your optical health while reducing the risk of coronavirus, contact us.
Specialty Lens and Keratoconus Center at EYEcenter Optometric treats patients with keratoconus in Citrus Heights, Rocklin, Folsom, Sacramento, and throughout California .
References:
- https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/coronavirus-covid19-eye-infection-pinkeye
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/keratoconus/symptoms-causes/syc-20351352
- https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/condition/keratoconus
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/keratoconus