WHAT IS KERATOCONUS?
The word keratoconus is formed
from two Greek words: kerato, meaning cornea, and
konos, meaning cone. Keratoconus, or conical cornea,
is a condition in which the normally round shape
of the cornea is distorted and a cone-like bulge
develops, resulting in significant visual impairment.
This distortion has been compared to viewing a street
sign through your car windshield during a driving
rain storm. Its progression is generally slow and
can stop at any stage from mild to severe. As the
KC progresses, the cornea bulges and thins, becoming
irregular and sometimes forming scars.
"Keratoconus is generally
quite manageable"
But to understand keratoconus, we
must first understand how the eye enables us to see,
and what role the cornea plays in this process.
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