Tag: Keratoconus Treatment

Discovering the Signs of Keratoconus: A Progressive Condition

You be wondering, what are the signs or symptoms of Keratoconus?

Keratoconus is a progressive condition that causes vision to decline over time. The key to slowing its progression comes from early detection and treatment of the condition.

It is important that you have annual eye exams and report all changes in vision.

If Keratoconus is left untreated it can have a great impact on overall vision. Keratoconus can decreases the ability to see well with contacts or glasses and causes great difficulty when driving at night.

Keratoconus leads to distorted vision due to the change in the cornea, the clear window over the eye.

Typically the cornea is spherical shaped. When properly shaped light enters the cornea and provides clear distinct images. Keratoconus causes the cornea to become misshaped and distorted, this leads to distorted images may not be able to be improved with glasses or contacts.

Signs and symptoms of Keratoconus:

  • Frequent blurred vision
  • Increased blurred vision
  • Glasses or Contacts do not improve the vision
  • Frequent rubbing of the eyes
  • Frequent changes in prescription
  • Seeing halos or glare around lights
  • Decreased night vision

One of the most important things about treating this condition is understanding the early signs. Paying attention to the eyes is not something most of us do until our vision is compromised. Knowing what signs to look for and asking your eye care professional questions is top priority.

While these are just a few of the signs and symptoms of Keratoconus, be sure to speak to your eye care professionals when you have difficulty with your vision.

Learn how early treatment change the life of 12 year old Jake:

Has Keratoconus Affected Your Career?

Has Keratoconus forced you to give up your career? While Keratoconus is a progressive condition there are several treatments that are now available to help preserve and improve your vision.

In the past, Keratoconus was a diagnosis that often meant a painful corneal transplant and a long recovery period. Now there are treatments that provide patients diagnosed with Keratoconus options that can slow, reverse, and even stop the progression of the condition giving you back your vision and your career.

Below are some signs & symptoms:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Frequent prescription changes
• Frequent rubbing of the eyes
• Foreign body sensations
• Deceased ability to wear contacts comfortably
• Halos around lights
• Light sensitivity
• Decreased night vision

There are several treatments that can provide you relief right away depending on the severity of your condition.

Today’s Keratoconus Treatments Include:

Intacs:

Intacs® are tiny crescent shaped lens inserts that are placed in the layer of the cornea. Intacs® provide help reshape the cornea and decrease vision distortion. Once in place, Intacs® do not require maintenance. If for any reason you don’t want them in the future, they can be removed.

Typically the procedure takes about 7 minutes and has a recovery time of about 24-48 hours. Patients report the recovery is fairly easy with little to no pain. Most activities can be resumed right away. Intacs® can be combined with other procedures to improve the outcome for Keratoconus treatment, including the Holcomb C3-R ®, and CK.

The Holcomb C3-R ®:

The Holcomb C3-R ® is a revolutionary treatment with over 12 years of proven results to stop the progression of Keratoconus. Just ask Olympic Gold Medalist and Bobsledder Steven Holcomb. He was diagnosed legally blind and almost gave up his career as a driver for the US Men’s Olympic Bobsled team. He decided to have the C3-R ® procedure done. The Holcomb C3-R ® not only preserved his vision, but when combined with the ICL (insertable contact lens) allowed him to continue to compete and he won Olympic Gold in 2010 and Olympic Bronze in 2014.

The Holcomb C3-R ® uses a natural vitamin call Riboflavin which is activated with a UV light during an easy 30 minutes office based treatment. Once the solution is activated it strengthens the cornea fibers over the next 16 weeks helping to stabilize Keratoconus and stop progression. This treatment is non-invasive and recovery is less than 24 hours. In 99.3% of patients, the treatment only needs to be performed once.

Watch the story of Steven Holcomb here:

Keratoconus Symptoms & How They Affect Your Daily Life

Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition that changes the shape of your cornea. This change causes many difficulties in the patient’s everyday life. The patient’s quality of vision deteriorates as the condition gets worse over the years. Many patients suffer from poor night vision, blurred, or double vision, and may have other symptoms which can cause them to become unable to drive at night, play sports, or causing problems completing tasks at school and/or work.

Keratoconus treatments improve the problem from its source by reshaping the cornea and strengthening it. These treatments can improve your overall quality of vision and reduce the likelihood the condition will progress further.

Some Symptoms are:

• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Poor night vision
• Frequent eye rubbing
• Frequent prescription changes
• Glares over lights/halos

Many patients with Keratoconus have difficulty dealing with the symptoms. Treatments like the Holcomb C3-R®, INTACS, and CK can improve the condition greatly and give you a better quality of vision. In some cases the Holcomb C3-R® and INTACS can be done in combination and can slow, stop, and even sometimes reverse the visual presentation of Keratoconus by flattening the cones.

Holcomb C3-R® Crosslinking System: A non-invasive treatment that uses a solution which is created with a vitamin called Riboflavin. This procedure requires the use of UV lights at activate the solution over once it is applied. It takes about 30 minutes and strengthens the corneal fibers

INTACS: INTACS are tiny inserts that are placed in the cornea to help reshape it to a more normal shape and reduce distortion.

If you are looking for treatment options for Keratoconus you can read more about Holcomb C3-R® and INTACS to see for yourself how they can help with your symptoms and treat your disease.

Watch the video below to see ‘First Hand’ how these treatments can change your life:

Finding the Right Keratoconus Treatment

Keratoconus is a progressive condition that causes the patient to lose their vision slowly over time. Keratoconus causes the sphere shaped cornea to turn cone shaped. This causes the images that a patient sees to become distorted and glasses or contacts often will not help improve vision over time.

In the past many patients have had to wait for their vision to be nearly lost and then a cornea transplant was recommended to replace the damaged one. Until 1999, this was the main treatment for Keratoconus, which was invasive and had a long recovery time. Today Keratoconus treatments are available to slow, stop, and in some cases reverse the damage from Keratoconus.

Today’s Modern Keratoconus Treatments:

Over the past two decade many ophthalmologists have worked hard to find new ways to treat Keratoconus. Several treatments have excellent results in treating this condition. A few are listed below.

The Holcomb C3-R ®:

The Holcomb C3-R ® or Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin is a non-invasive treatment designed to strengthen the corneal fibers to help restore the shop of their cornea. Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler developed this treatment in 2003 and has revolutionized Keratoconus management.

The Holcomb C3-R ® is performed in the comfort of Dr. Brian’s office and is comfortable to undergo with recovery in as little as a few hours. Additionally the Holcomb C3-R ® can be performed in combination with other advanced treatments to further enhance and improve vision, procedures such as Intacs.

Intacs:

Intacs are tiny crescent shaped lens inserts that are placed in the layers of the cornea lens to reshape the cornea. It provides the patient with almost instant improved quality of vision and when performed with the Holcomb C3-R ® can benefit patients with moderate to severe Keratoconus.

Intacs can be done within 10 minutes and performed the same day as the Holcomb C3-R ® to reduce the need for repeat procedures dates and extended recovery times.

CK- Conductive Keratoplasty:

CK also known as Conductive Keatoplasty can be combined with both Intacs and the Holcomb C3-R ® to help reshape the cornea. Often used to reduce high levels of astigmatism, it can be effective in the treatment of Keratoconus for further enhancement of vision.

CK uses a radiofrequency probe, which gently helps reshape the cornea. This procedure can also be performed in combination with other treatments in the office. CK has little recovery time and little to no pain.

Advancements in Keratoconus treatments give patient’s peace of mind and relief to know there is another option instead of the dreaded and painful cornea transplant.

Watch Kristen discuss her happiness with Holcomb C3-R ®, Intacs, and CK – 3 years after treatment

Tips for Family Vision Care This Year

Vision care should be a priority to your family especially if you have a family history of eye problems or conditions like elevated blood pressure, or Diabetes. Several conditions affect the eyes and can lead to severe vision loss or eye care issues.

Be sure to find an eye care professional that you are comfortable speaking with, and that communicates well with you and your family. This will help your family understand your eye care conditions and find the right treatments for your family.

Below are a couple tips to help you:

Discovering Vision Problems in Your Children:

There are several signs of vision problems in children. Knowing what they are and how to spot them is important. If they are having difficulty seeing it will affect every part of their life including social, and academic as well.

Below are some common signs it is time to see the eye doctor:

 Eye Strain – (in children straining to see the television or board at school)
 Blurred Vision
 Double Vision
 Poor night vision
 Frequent Eye rubbing
 Eye Pain

Family History of Eye Conditions:

If you have a family a family history of eye conditions such as Cataracts, Glaucoma, Keratoconus, or even Diabetes type 1 or 2 you should go to the eye doctor on a regular basis. Annual eye exams are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Early detection of eye conditions opens up more options when it comes to treatments.

For more information on symptoms of common eye conditions, or treatment option ask your eye care professionals or visit www.BoxerWachler.com

Dr. Brian’s shares his tip on why eye rubbing can be dangerous to your eye health:

Top Alternatives to LASIK & LASIK Repair

Have you thought about the LASIK procedure but are worried about complications? There can be complications from LASIK procedures but not always for the reasons you suspect. In fact, quite a few of the people who get LASIK procedures often aren’t the right candidates to begin with and their eye doctors don’t even realize it.

When it comes to the LASIK procedure there are two main reasons why people have complications. The first is because they have thin corneas. This can be determined during a thorough consultation and should be mandatory testing for all individuals seeking LASIK treatment.

The second reason is that the procedure is not performed correctly. If this happens there are several options to help correct the problems including the use of a procedure called PRK which reshapes the outer cornea. This procedure can often take a bit longer to recover but it can increase your overall quality of vision. Another would be the Holcomb C3-R Crosslinking System, which strengthens the cornea if it has become weakened from LASIK.

Benefits of PRK:

There is no risk of corneal flap complications
Good option for patients with thin cornea
Less depth than typical laser treatment
Reduced risk of compromised corneal thickness (than with LASIK)

What are the signs of LASIK Complications?

For many, the complications from LASIK may not occur for several years after surgery. How do you know when you are having complications from your LASIK procedure? There are several ways to tell however you should report all eye complications to your eye care professional right away. Below you will find a list of some signs of LASIK complications:

Irregular Astigmatism
Keratoconus or Keratectasia
Epithelial in-growth
Decrease vision
Dry eyes & decreased tear production
Blurred vision
Eye irritation

Listen to David’s story featured NBC News about repairs after LASIK and his Keratoconus treatments:

Optimal Eye Health with Flaxseed Oil

Did you know that your eyes need vitamins just as much as the rest of your body? Yes, it is important for your eye health to get the right vitamin balance for your eyes as well as your whole body. Optimal Flax can help you achieve this and helps with Dry Eye. Below are a few additional benefits to flaxseed oil.

Benefits of Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil is used in many various health applications. It has been shown to:

Reduce inflammation from several types of Arthritis
Treat Dry Eye
Help regulate high blood pressure
Treat for heart disease
Help control Diabetes
Assist digestive health as a laxative for constipation

Even more important that the above benefits, research has revealed that free radicals can damage corneas and increase the progressive nature of Keratoconus. Anti-oxidants vitamins should be an essential part of your Keratoconus treatment. In addition, Keratoconus contacts lenses can be more comfortable when dry eye is treated. Flaxseed oil vitamin capsules have been effective for alleviated dry eyes in Keratoconus patients.

Several vitamin supplements that can support good vision care, as well as overall health, for yourself and your family. Vitamins can provide longevity and improved health.

As with any medications or supplements, there are a few interactions to watch out for including medications that help slow clotting of the blood. It is important to check with your physician or eye care professional before starting any new treatments to ensure there are no interactions.

Optimal Flax is a supplement that naturally increases the lubrication of the body, including the eyes and skin. This is an effective product for helping reduce Dry Eyes.

Flaxseed oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids which help with several health problems and offer many daily health benefits. If you are looking for a daily vitamin that will assist you with Dry Eye symptoms, Optimal Flax may be the ideal vitamin product.

For those of you who want more information on the Optimal Health products such as Optimal Flaxseed and Optimal Eye (antioxidants) visit www.ioptimalhealth.com

Will I Need a Corneal Transplant Now That I’m Diagnosed With Keratoconus?

For those who are familiar with Keratoconus, Corneal Transplants maybe a familiar treatment option. But with today’s advanced technology, there are several treatments yielding amazing results when it comes to the treatment of Keratoconus. For generations past, the only treatment of Keratoconus was a corneal transplant. But the success of alternative treatments has made corneal transplants an option in less than 5% of patients with Keratoconus in fact they are almost obsolete.

Other treatments such as the Holcomb C3-R®, INTACS®, Hybrid Lenses, and even PRK have yielded excellent results. These treatments have aided in slowing, reversing, and in some cases stopping the progression of Keratoconus. For many, visual freedom and overall improved quality of vision is within reach.

Some of you may be wondering what Keratoconus is and what are the signs. For those of you who are new to this condition or even have family members who are newly diagnosed with Keratoconus, it is a progressive eye condition which causes the cornea to extend into a cone-shape causing distortions in the patients vision over time.

The lens slowly bulges outward causing blurred or double vision, decreased night vision, difficulty reading, and several other symptoms. The condition can be hereditary, caused by frequent rubbing, or injury to the eye. Over time the patient can have a severe decrease in vision, causing problems with daily activities, driving, or night vision.

Treatments:

Holcomb C3-R® Corneal Crosslinking System

Also known as Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin, Holcomb C3-R® is a treatment that strengthens the corneal fibers over time, fixing the damage or bulge to the cornea. This can improve the vision slightly over 4-16 weeks, but most importantly it will stop the disease from progressing. The treatment is non-invasive and uses a natural vitamin called Riboflavin along with a UV light to activate it. The treatment takes 30 minutes and continues to work to improve your sight for weeks after it’s complete.

INTACS®:

INTACS® are tiny segments that are placed in your cornea to provide support and add shape to your cornea. INTACS® can be added in combination with the Holcomb C3-R® and take less than an hour for both eyes to be done. There is less recovery time and less pain involved with the procedure than a corneal transplant. The procedure for INTACS® is minimally invasive and requires very little recovery. INTACS® also can be removed relatively easily if technology changes or you need them removed for some reason in the future.

13yr old Brianna had her Keratoconus treated with these advanced treatments, watch her story here: http://youtu.be/KZFC8NOp_hI

Improvements for Keratoconus Treatments & What You Should Know

The disease Keratoconus is a progressive condition that causes the patients quality of vision to decrease gradually over time. In the past there was only one main treatment for Keratoconus other than eye glasses or contact lenses, which was corneal transplants. Over the past decade or longer, technology has improved the treatments for Keratoconus including treatments like INTACS®, Holcomb C3-R®, and even CK.

These treatments alone or combined can improve the patients overall vision, and in almost all cases they have been known to stop the progression of Keratoconus.

Holcomb C3-R® Crosslinking System:

The Holcomb C3-R® is a treatment which is making incredible progress in the treatments for patients with Keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive condition that damages the cornea or the lens of the eye causing it to go from a dome shape to cone shape distorting the vision. The Holcomb C3-R® strengthens the corneal fibers allowing the cornea to return to its original shape over time and stopping the progression of the disease.

INTACS® are also a great treatment to help those with Keratoconus. There are many that also have the ability to combine both the Holcomb C3-R® with INTACS® to provide them with a better quality of vision and in some cases remove the need for glasses or contacts. INTACS® are tiny inserts that are placed within the cornea to help shape and provide support to your vision.

INTACS® Benefits:

Less-invasive procedure
Takes less than an hour
An outpatient procedure
Can be used in combination with other procedures
Less maintenance, can be easily removed if necessary

Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, MD is a renowned eye surgeon specializing in Keratoconus treatments, and other procedures.

Here numerous stories of patients whose lives were changed by having their Keratoconus fixed by Dr. Brian: http://tiny.cc/m7h0ix

Keratoconus: Treatment Options

Keratoconus is a degenerative eye disease that will continue to get worse until it is corrected. Although mild cases of keratoconus can be corrected with glasses or lenses, once the eye disease has progressed to a more severe case, other treatment options are needed.

Corneal transplants are one way to correct keratoconus. During this procedure, an eye surgeon will replace the severely damaged and eroded cornea. There are different types of corneal transplants in which different and smaller sections are replaced. Regardless, this is an invasive procedure and there are many complications associated with it. There can be a lengthy recovery time before vision is restored, and there are care responsibilities that last a lifetime.

Another treatment option for people suffering with keratoconus is C3-R treatment. This treatment is much safer than corneal transplants since it is not an invasive surgery. The goal of this procedure is to strengthen the existing cornea and restore its shape with a combination of UV light and special eye drops. The recovery time for this is almost instantaneous and no hospitalization is needed. The cornea is usually strengthened within a few weeks.

Conductive keratoplasity for astigmatism can also be used to help correct the symptoms of keratoconus. This treatment plan usually needs to be done in combination with either intacs or C3-R. Intacs are similar to contacts, but they are inserted in the cornea to help strengthen the lining. Although this is considered a surgery, it is less invasive than corneal transplants since the original cornea is still intact. The surgery simply requires a small incision in which to insert the intacs.

All of these treatment options are designed to help reduce the symptoms of keratoconus or to cure the eye of the disease. Each of the procedures has different risks and benefits, and a health care provider specializing in this disease can better explain the options.

Keratoconus: Treatment Options