Keratoconus is an eye condition affecting the clear front surface of the eye. Known as the cornea, this curved front surface acts like the windscreen of a car. Keratoconus is a progressive disease, resulting in distortion of the cornea, in turn affecting eye sight.
In keratoconus, the central cornea becomes thinner and thinner. As a result of this thinning, the cornea becomes weaker, and bulges, or buckles in this area. As the cone advances, the distortion increases, further reducing vision.
The normal cornea has an evenly rounded front surface, much like a basketball or soccer ball. The thinned cornea bulges into a cone shape. The word keratoconus has Greek and Latin roots, translating to ‘cone-like cornea’. So, instead of being shaped like a round ball, the cornea is more like the tip of a rugby or AFL football.
As a consequence of the irregular cornea, keratoconus results in a decreasing quality of vision. This is often most noticeable at night time with car head lights or street lamps. Specifically, keratoconus often causes haloes and ghosting around lights. This is because the cone shaped cornea focuses light into many different points instead of a crisp and clear image.
While keratoconus usually affects both eyes, sometimes the severity can differ between the eyes a lot. For this reason, some one eye advanced cases receive a late diagnosis. This can be because the patient is still seeing very well from the better eye. With this in mind, it is always best to have eye tests regularly for all sorts of eye conditions.