Eye Condition Keratoconus: Unstable Cornea
Distorted world – The cornea is unstable, schwäthe cht visual performance massively. Health insurance companies pay for SURGERY now
Optical KohäRenz tomography: A Krümmungsbild shows the state of the cornea
Again with the glasses is too weak. It was adjusted only three weeks ago, new – for the third Time this year. "If the lens of the values in a short period of time auffäcompletely often verächange, Affected necessarily to Eye doctor gehen", Professor Bert­ stresses;hold Seitz, Director of the clinic für Ophthalmology at the Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes. Häoften a disease called keratoconus put behind it.
In the case of this eye condition that occurs often in young people, the cornea is unstable. It is deformed to a unregelmäßsolution of cone, dünnt is increasingly and can reiß in the worst case, even;en. "Each measurement of the Sehschärfe is then only a snapshot. The result can be a few days später quite different ausfallen", erklärt Seitz, in Homburg, the Keratoconus Center. Often, the disease worsens slowly until the middle of 30 and then comes to a standstill.
Double Images, Streaking, And Shade
By the unregelmäßige Krüatmosphere of the horn, the light can not be focused the skin to a certain focal point. The Affected environment is perceived increasingly distorted, double vision, shadows, streaks, and rings and rays to light sources. At night and in the Däthe author is of the view due to the erhöelevated glare sensitivity is particularly strong beeinträauthorized.
In Germany, it hits about 2000 people; Mämen twice as häfrequently as women. Most of the keratoconus time occurs added to both eyes. In many cases, it remains undetected. "Especially in the early stages it is often with a simple Hornhautverkrüatmosphere of confused and wrong behandelt", Seitz says.
To diagnose a keratoconus sure, was not easy. So müsse the eye doctor the Hornhautoberfläche and thickness are measured and a computer-based flächiges Krümmungsbild create. "The slit-lamp examination, is sufficient since it is not aus", Seitz emphasized.
Stabilizing Lens
The disease is not curable, however, lässt your progression of the brakes. Experts therefore recommend a frühzeitige treatment. "The eher a keratoconus discovered and stabiis hydrolyzed, the größhe is the Chance of a corneal Transplantato vermeiden" tion;, about Professor Burkhard Dick, the Universitä says;ts-Augenklinik Bochum.
A low ausgeprägte deformation and Ausdünnung of the cornea lässt zunäfirst, with a pair of glasses to compensate. In the more advanced stage of form-stable contact lenses or special keratoconus lenses are required. "Including a Trä forms;nenfilm, the Unlayer of the cornea fixes, balances and a annäapproximate normal Sehimpression ermöglicht", erklärt Thick.
Well-connected corneal
Around 80 percent of those Affected to cope permanently with hard contact lenses. As the disease progresses, Augenä recommend;doctors zusäaddition to surgical therapies. In the meantime, many of bewährt has Verhä the so-called Cross-Linking, biochemical;reddening of the cornea. With the B-Vitamin Riboflavin and the UV-A rays, the collagen fibers of the cornea stä skin;amplifier networked. "So läthe Er­ sst;disease, although not cure, its progression but in many Fäcases stoppen", Seitz says.
The Cross-Linking is recommended to the keratoconus expert especially jüyounger patients with rapidly progressing disease – especially since it has Recently become to Fund performance. The crosslinking treatment is on an outpatient basis durchgeführt, the eyes betä be;ubt. Before the 30-minütransparent to irradiation with UV-A light trägt the doctor the uppermost Horny skin layer, thus, the Riboflavin penetrates better into the tissue. Patients müshot in the first few days after surgery with pain and Fremdkörpergefühl expect.
Gentler Therapy
The eye clinic at the Universitätsklinikum Bochum offers a more gentle therapy to – the Customized Cross-Linking. "In the case of this further development of the conventional method köwe can Intensität the treatment to the individual findings anpassen", erklärt chief doctor Thick. The pathological Wölbung of the cornea let also selectively relieve, it müsse does not skin the entire horn to be treated. Disadvantage: The health insurance üaccept the cost dafür currently does not.
In old age it is better
An Alternative toning Kunststoffrings implanted into the cornea. You köcan slow down the progression of the disease by the Krüatmosphere of flattening. "This is the recommended procedure, particularly for patients that do not form stable contact lenses vertragen", Seitz says.
In the case of slowly progressive disease ­ pay sometimes too easy;Patience, how the keratoconus expert erklärt: "With increasing age, verhäthe horn RTS skin by itself, so that the natünatural aging process, the disease aufhält." Only in particularly severe Fäcases can be a corneal transplant may be necessary.
Cause unknown
Why it to the Vorwölbungen of the cornea is not vöcompletely geklärt. "Probably the Kollagenmolekü are;le in the connective tissue Stützgerüst of the cornea to a little networked. This reduces your biomechanical Stabilität", Seitz says.
In addition to a genetic Vertaxation seem the immune system as well as a Schilddrüsenunter function to play a role. "Also violent and hästage of eye rubbing erhöht the Risiko", Seitz says. In the case of already existing illness may lead to acute deterioration.
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Myopia (Astigmatism)Bar
A rod is-sightedness, the Affected objects in the NäHey, and in the distance out of focus. Cause a Hornhautverkrü is usually;atmosphere