Keratoconus is an eye disease characterized by deformation of the cornea. At the first manifestation of symptoms of keratoconus, treatment and transfer of control over the situation into the hands of doctors should follow immediately. If you delay and start the disease, then your vision will deteriorate, it can be lost. Even with timely measures taken, it does not remain perfect in all cases. The choice of treatment for keratoconus will depend on many circumstances.
Manifestation
In this disease, the corneas of the eyes become thinner due to the destruction of protein bases. They begin to come out under the pressure of intraocular fluids. The eyes become bulging or conical in shape, there is a great risk of rupture or cracking of the corneas. A person becomes short-sighted, cannot see objects that are in the distance, everything that he sees doubles. And this cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, everything that he touches is notfits. All the same, all small objects look distorted, and this is especially noticeable during reading. At the initial stage, he begins to see worse in the dark. Scars appear on the corneas.
It must be taken into account that this disease can develop over several years, in the first few months without making itself felt. Sometimes, years later, it does not reach severe forms, it goes into remission. But one should not pin hopes on such an outcome, with any sign of this disease, it must be treated.
Treatment
Which method of treating keratoconus will be chosen will depend on the stage of its development. Traditionally, there are two options. In the first case, this is the treatment of keratoconus by surgery. In the second - conservative methods using medicines and special optics. With surgery, the prognosis is more favorable, but at the initial stage of the disease, such a radical approach may be unnecessary. Ophthalmologists will prefer to use gentle methods.
Operation
This is a relatively new treatment for keratoconus. During the operation, corneal rings are implanted, the installation of which does not allow further protrusion of the corneas, they remain in the correct position. It is important to know that in the treatment of the disease, keratoplasty is performed only at the second or third stage. During it, the corneas are removed and donor material is implanted. In 90% of cases, after such treatment of keratoconus, the eyes begin to see very sharply, vision approaches 100%.
However, at the moment there is an even more advanced waygetting rid of the disease. Increasingly, the treatment of keratoconus in clinics is carried out through crosslinking. This procedure lasts about 40 minutes, after which there is no need for a long rehabilitation. Riboflavin is dripped into the eyes, saturating them with beneficial substances, and then another intervention begins. The corneas are treated with a laser, which causes them to harden and become rigid. This prevents them from protruding, they are fixed in the desired position. But keep in mind that vision after such an operation will not become sharper, although the disease will be cured. It will not have any dangerous consequences. According to reviews, the treatment of keratoconus in this way will cost 35 thousand rubles per eye. The final price will depend on the clinic and the city in which the surgery is performed. The result will be temporary, and after 5 years the procedure will need to be repeated, otherwise the corneas will blur again.
According to reviews, the treatment of keratoconus by implantation of the cornea will cost 40-50 thousand rubles for each eye. However, such a surgical intervention is possible only if there are certain indications.
Varieties of operations
There are several types of keratoplasty. This operation, aimed at correcting corneal defects by transplanting donor materials, can serve different purposes.
There are optical, therapeutic and cosmetic keratoplasty. Sometimes these goals can overlap.
Optical surgery aims to restore or improvetransparency of the corneas, improve visual acuity. Therapeutic is aimed at preventing the development of the disease, eliminating damage to the eye. Cosmetic surgery is done to improve the appearance of the eyeball, to reconstruct its congenital or acquired deformities.
In some cases, a medical operation aimed at preventing the development of pathology also gives optical effects, but most often this does not happen.
Hard lenses
At the initial stage, the disease is cured with the help of special hard lenses. In fact, only their middle part, inserted into a soft material, is rigid. These devices slow down the development of the disease, but they also require the help of medicines. Not in all cases, this method saves from the disease. Everything will depend on many factors that only the doctor will take into account during the treatment of keratoconus in the clinic.
Points
This treatment is never used by itself. Glasses simply allow you to maintain visual acuity, but do not slow down the development of the disease. To combat the disease, special optics are needed, which is also prescribed for astigmatism.
You need to know that she will not be able to help after 3 years from the onset of the disease. After this period, it will be possible to cure it only with the help of surgical intervention.
Drops
Eye drops are used only as an additional tool that saturates the cornea with useful substances. Most often in the treatment prescribed "Taufon". This tool allows you to slow down the progressiondiseases.
This stimulates metabolic processes in the eyes, improves vision, cell regeneration. The cornea is also partially restored, but this effect is not enough to completely prevent its protrusion.
Solcoseryl
This is a special gel that promotes the process of tissue regeneration, acceleration of metabolic processes in the visual organ. It slows down the oxidative processes in it and enhances the supply of nutrients that are delivered through the bloodstream.
Among the less effective, but at the same time sparing remedies, there are many other drops and gels that are combined with other conservative methods of treating the disease. These include Quinax, Kornegel, Balarpan. They most often act as a support when wearing hard lenses. Their use is explained by the fact that with the constant wearing of lenses, the eye has to be in contact with a foreign object on an ongoing basis, and it must be protected from all kinds of infections. The role of protection is given to drops and gels.
Traditional medicine
Treatment of keratoconus with folk remedies is widely practiced to this day, being considered quite appropriate to be a method of healing from an ailment. His methods are aimed at a general strengthening effect. According to reviews, the treatment of keratoconus is best done using decoctions and herbal infusions with chamomile and sage. These herbs are poured with boiling water in the proportion of one tablespoon of herbs per 0.5 liters of water. Treatment of keratoconus folkThe method consists in washing the eyes twice a day with this infusion. Thus, the corneas are strengthened, and the soreness that always manifests itself in the process of tissue destruction disappears.
Treatment of keratoconus with folk remedies includes the use of tea with rose hips, mint and lemon balm. Together with honey, these herbs increase immunity, which leads to the strengthening of eye tissues. But you need to be aware that none of the non-traditional methods will cope with the disease as well as keratoconus treatment centers using official methods of struggle.
All of the above methods will work only in the early stages of the disease, for preventive purposes, or they will support during rehabilitation after the main course. Of course, traditional medicine, according to reviews, contributes to the treatment of keratoconus, having a beneficial effect on the prognosis, but is not the driving force in getting rid of it: not a single remedy will set the cornea in place.
Most often, the following folk remedies are combined with the official treatment of the disease:
- First of all, an aqueous solution of aloe is used, simply by dropping them into the eyes. This is a universal advice for many diseases associated with the eyeballs.
- Sometimes an aqueous solution with honey is instilled into the cornea.
- Try to eat more honey, carrots and blueberries.
- Be sure to do eye exercises.
One must always remember that it is necessary to contact specialists as soon as at least one alarming symptom is detected. Noticing that these tips do not improvevision situation, you should immediately go to the ophthalmologist for conventional treatment.
Food
Lost vision is restored largely due to a change in diet. General wellness procedures will not harm anyone, so the best solution is to make adjustments in your life, regardless of the presence of eye diseases.
Paul Bragg, the creator of the theory of recovery, who lived to be 97 years old, advised to exclude s alty foods from the diet. The thing is that chlorine, which contains s alt, is a poison for the body, for the eyes in particular.
It is worth reducing the consumption of sugar, smoked meats. Stop eating confectionery, drink sweet carbonated water. It is necessary to delete white bread, canned food and s alted fish from your diet. Not good for tea and coffee.
Significant improvement in well-being can be achieved by giving up smoking and drinking alcohol.
Everything that contains sugar will be useful to replace with honey. At first, the refusal of s alted meat will restore taste buds. Over time, the food will take on other shades of taste, and meat without s alt will seem delicious.
Among the foods that you can leave in your diet, Bragg lists any meat, entrails, vegetables and fruits. Be sure to leave fish, eggs, seafood and green tea with juices. It would not be superfluous to include nuts and seeds in the diet, as well as black or grain bread.
It's good for your he alth not to eat before bed. When choosing products, you should givepreference for those that do not have E-xxx (preservatives) in the composition.
Rehab
After a surgical operation on the cornea that relieves keratoconus, thin sutures remain in it. They hold the donor tissue. The stitches can last up to one year. Their presence makes it possible to engage in moderate physical activity. It is important not to forget to check their condition by contacting a specialist in medical supervision.
Finally, the wound after surgery will heal only six months or a year after its implementation. For this reason, all this time, immediately after leaving the clinic, it will be necessary to carry out treatment at home. It will consist in instillation of drops or the use of ointments. It must be remembered that any contact with the eye is made with washed hands with a mirror from a prone position. You can connect relatives to use the techniques that were shown in the clinic.
In no case should you independently change the order of using the Dexasone, Prednisalone or Cortisone tablets that the doctors will prescribe. They are always accepted only according to a strict scheme.
In the process of treatment, be sure to refuse s alty foods, reduce the amount of s alt in the diet, increase the consumption of dairy products, potassium s alts (dried apricots, raisins).
You can only sleep on your back for the first month, and then on the side that is opposite to the operated eye. You can not make special changes in food, but you can’tdrink alcohol and vitamin complexes. An overabundance of confectionery products can negatively affect recovery.
The body will benefit from light physical activity, but without jumping, running and tilting. You should not spend the entire first year in the sun, direct sunlight should be avoided. It is contraindicated to sunbathe, as this can provoke an inflammatory process in the operated cornea.
She needs protection even in the cold season. The eye must be covered with bandages necessarily, opening it into the room. The use of tinted glasses is suitable. The cornea that has been transplanted will not be as sensitive for a few more months, and sometimes even years.
For this reason, physical impact on her should be avoided. The eye should not be rubbed with strong movements, it is worth being careful while washing. When a strong wind blows, it is better to cover the cornea, and in severe frost in the next 2 years do not appear on the street. All this will protect the eye from damage and frostbite.
It is allowed to go to museums, theaters and cinemas, but this should not be associated with cramped and difficult trips on public transport.
Work in a limited format will start after 2-4 months, the final decision on this period will depend on the condition of the fabrics and the nature of the work. The increase in workload should occur gradually, but the entire first year is definitely contraindicated in work where you need to tilt your head down, move a lot, run and do hard physical labor. Going to work, we must not forget to visit the ophthalmologist every fewmonths throughout the first year of rehabilitation. This is especially true for those who have not had their stitches removed.
At the slightest sign of redness, discomfort, tearing, you should immediately contact a specialist. Early treatment of the disease will help prevent deterioration of vision.
Where to treat
Treatment of keratoconus in Moscow is carried out in many clinics using the most modern means. Hybrid lenses are used, hard and soft, crosslinking, implantation is performed, damaged layers of the cornea are removed.
It is best to choose a keratoconus clinic based on the rating of ophthalmological centers. There are more than 10,000 such institutions in Russia. It is impossible to rank them, but of those that are advertised most actively, three are in the lead in the lists: Moscow Eye Clinic, Dr. Shilova's Clinic, MNTK Microsurgery of the Eye named after S. Fedorov.
During the treatment of keratoconus in Moscow, the diagnosis of the disease is carried out already at the first visits and consultations. It is recommended to choose an institution that provides related services for rapid diagnosis. This shortens the treatment time.
Keratoconus treatment in Krasnodar is carried out in more than ten clinics with advanced technologies. It is not difficult to choose a specialist suitable for a particular patient, but it is best to choose institutions that do brain tomography and ultrasound of the eyeball. So, when treating keratoconus at the Fedorov clinic, it is possible to undergo a full examination on the spot, whichsignificantly saves the patient's time.
If symptoms such as tearfulness, redness of the eyes, blurred vision are detected, an appointment with a doctor should be made immediately. Delay in contacting a specialist will lead to the development of the disease.
Keratoconus treatment in Smolensk is carried out by more than 50 ophthalmologists. It will not be difficult to choose a course for any diagnosis and for any budget.
Diagnosis
The main first sign of the beginning of the development of keratoconus is a person's complaint that the glasses changed too often in a short time, and astigmatism increased. Although the symptoms are more pronounced on one cornea, both are always affected. Someone may be bothered by manifestations of allergic reactions, eyeballs may itch.
In addition to a sharp decrease in visual acuity, patients complain of discomfort: photophobia begins when the eyes become too sensitive to natural or artificial light. In some cases, they stop driving at night due to motion blur. Sometimes everything doubles, which is due to the deformation of the corneas in this disease.
Astigmatism is noted in all patients, it progresses quite actively. Because of this, objects that are far away are distorted.
During the diagnosis of keratoconus, retinoscopes are used to detect the main signs of the disease. Keratometers are also widely used to measure the degree of deformation of the corneas. Topographic changes in the corneas are controlled using the videokeratography technique.
Nevertheless, it must be remembered thatAll these instruments are limited in accuracy in one way or another. Not in all cases, their data will be 100% correct. For this reason, doctors take into account a whole range of objective signs, patient complaints.
Always at the first stage of the examination, attention is paid to the presence of the Fleischer ring, a pigment that is formed in the epithelium of the eye. This is the surest sign of the development of keratoconus. To notice it, use a cob alt filter that gives a dark blue glow. This pigment will be most pronounced and broad in the early stages of the disease, and then begin to thin out.
The next characteristic sign of the progression of the disease are atrophic stretch marks - Vogt's stripes. These are thin vertical lines on the cornea that become visible at high magnification. According to official data, 98% of people suffering from keratoconus had a Fleischer ring, 60% have Vogt's stripes. More than 50% of people who sought help were found to have scars in the eye.
The disease itself is subdivided into 3 types: mild, moderate and advanced keratoconus.
With mild keratoconus, there are practically no external signs of the disease. Only a constant change of glasses on any eye can cause any suspicion. Accurate diagnosis is carried out by topographic examination of the corneas, which reveals curvatures in them.
Already at this stage, 40% of patients show Vogt's stripes, and iron is deposited in the epithelium in the form of a ring, which will eventually develop into a Fleischer ring.
Mean keratoconus is characterized in 20% of cases by scarring of the eye. The “scissors effect” is clearly expressed, the deformation of the cornea.
At this stage, the Fleischer ring appears already in 60% of patients.
If keratoconus is developed, then corneal scarring occurs in 70% of cases, acute swelling of this zone appears.
Conclusion
At the first signs of discomfort associated with the eyes, it is better to contact an ophthalmologist. Timely treatment will prevent the possibility of negative consequences of the disease. New methods of treating keratoconus can achieve complete relief from the disease in 95% of cases. According to statistics, only 10-20% of patients eventually need a corneal transplant if a good result is not achieved using conservative methods. Most of the situation manages to stabilize without surgical intervention.
