Keratoconus

Keratoconus (from Greek "karato" - a cornea and "konus") – such condition of an eye at which the cornea takes conical shape. Under the influence of degenerative processes cells of one of cornea layers (Bouman's layer) collapse that leads to loss of rigidity of a cornea, and it under pressure of intraocular liquid is stuck out outside. The keratoconus leads to strong deterioration in sight, but almost never leads to its full loss.

The keratoconus meets not so seldom, according to medical statistics, 1 person from 2000 gets sick with it. Frequency of a disease does not depend from sexual or race, the first symptoms of a keratoconus are shown, as a rule, at people from the moment of puberty and up to 20 years.

Keratoconus origins

The reasons of development of the degenerative processes in a cornea leading to a keratoconus are still unknown. Influence of autoimmune processes at which cells of immune system destroy own cells of an organism is undoubted. These data are confirmed by the fact that often the keratoconus arises at the people having bronchial asthma, allergies and other frustration of immune system.

One of the factors promoting development of a keratoconus is long reception of corticosteroid drugs that renders, including, influence and on immune system, and also confirms its leading role in developing of a disease.

Dependence of frequency of emergence of a keratoconus on an adverse ecological situation, in particular, long stay in rooms where air is contaminated by a rough suspension of the dust causing constant microtraumas of a cornea is noted. Also there are data on influence of genetic factors on development of a disease. In the majority of cases the reason of emergence of a keratoconus remains obscure.

Keratoconus symptoms

As a rule, keratoconus symptoms appear on one eye in the beginning, but then the second eye is involved in process. The keratoconus seldom happens only on one eye, just different extents of its manifestation are more often on different eyes. The main symptom of a keratoconus is deterioration in sight. In the beginning patients note deterioration in sight in night-time, then blurring of the image is shown also at good lighting. Eyes quickly are tired, sometimes in them unpleasant feelings in the form of an itch or burning appear.

Patients with a keratoconus describe the image before eyes as the vague picture which they see as if through glass during a heavy rain. The image appears doubled, the symptom of a monocular polyopia, characteristic of a keratoconus, appears – when instead of one image the patient sees a little. It is especially expressed when examining light objects against a dark background. To the patient suggest to look at the image of a white point on the black sheet of paper, and instead of one white point in the center he sees several such points which are chaotically scattered according to the sheet of paper and when checking after a while this chaotic sequence does not change.

The patient experiences difficulties at selection of the adjusting points, there is a need for their frequent change.

Usually symptoms of a keratoconus accrue within several months or even years, then the disease ceases to progress and remains at the same level for a long time. In rare instances the keratoconus progresses continuously, leading to frequent ruptures of a cornea and threat of loss of an eye.

Diagnosis of a keratoconus

In the beginning the doctor carefully asks the patient on symptoms, then check visual acuity. Inspection by means of a slit lamp is performed, detection at the same time of a symptom, characteristic of a keratoconus, – "Fleyshner's rings" is one of diagnostic characters. Apply a skiaskopiya – a method of a research at which the ray of light is directed to an iris of the eye of an eye of the patient and, displacing it, monitor reflection. At a keratoconus there is a so-called effect of scissors at which two reflected strips of light move, like edges of scissors.

One of the most informative and exact modern diagnostic methods of a keratoconus is use of the optical topographer, with drawing up the topographic map of a front and back wall of a cornea. Such method allows to diagnose a keratoconus even at early stages, and drawing up topographic maps of a cornea through certain periods allows to observe process in dynamics.

Treatment of a keratoconus

Depending on features of course of process (bystry progressing, tendency to a recurrence, or on the contrary, slow increase of symptoms with the long periods of stability) there can be both a surgical, and non-invasive treatment of a keratoconus.

From conservative methods of treatment of a keratoconus the following is applied:

• Correction by semifixed lenses is based on mechanical cave-in of a cone of a cornea by means of special lenses, rigid in the center and soft on the periphery;
• Krosslinking (Corneal Collagen Crosslinking, CCL, CXL) – rather new, but perfectly proved method allowing to strengthen a cornea and to increase its rigidity for 300% in the non-invasive way. The essence of a method consists in removal of superficial cells of a cornea, instillation Riboflavinum with the subsequent 30-minute radiation of an eye an ultra-violet lamp. Then the special contact lens protecting a cornea for that time is approximately put on until there are regeneration processes. Such treatment of a keratoconus safely and malotravmatichno, is carried out in out-patient conditions and does not demand use of the general anesthesia.

At a heavy current and far come keratoconus stage operation nevertheless is necessary as because of frequent ruptures of a cornea there is a threat of loss of an eye. Today two forms of operations at a keratoconus are taken:

• Implantation in a cornea of intrastromalny corneal ring segments (X), the thin arches from polymer located on both sides from a pupil which put the constant pressure therefore the cone is flattened.
• The keratoplasty, or through keratoplasty – a classical method of operation at a keratoconus when own thinned cornea is removed, and on its place is implanted donor.

Treatment of a keratoconus folk remedies

At treatment of a keratoconus folk remedies are used as fortifying, and also preventive, for avoiding of complications of a disease, such as rupture of a cornea. At an itch, burning and bystry fatigue of eyes recommend washing and lotions broths of medicative herbs, such as a camomile, a sage, coltsfoot. Medicative herbs can be also applied as teas to soft immunocorrection, for example, tea from leaves of a purple cone-flower purple.

One more of folk remedies of treatment of a keratoconus – honey and other products of beekeeping. Honey and propolis in this case is applied as locally, in the form of aqueous solutions, and in food, as fortifying and immunoexcitant.