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Keratoconus

If your looking for an ophthalmologist in Naples, FL. to treat your keratoconus, then look no further than Naples Eye Physicians. Keratoconus occurs when the cornea begins to bulge out into a cone shape, causing all sorts of vision problems like irregular astigmatism, worsening nearsightedness, and distorted vision. In milder cases of keratoconus, simple eyeglasses or contact lenses may help mitigate the issue. However, in more severe cases other ophthalmology treatments are available. 

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Corneal crosslinking: This can improve the strength of your corneal tissue through both epithelium-off and -on crosslinking. The epithelium-off method removes the outer skin of the cornea, which allows vitamin B to seep into the cornea and strengthen its bonds. The -on method leaves the outer skin intact. 

Custom Contacts: Some contact lens companies, like Kerasoft and NovaKone, make custom contact lenses for those suffering from mild to moderate keratoconus. These lenses are made-to-order and are specially created based on the measurements of the patient's eyes. 

Gas Permeable Lenses: These lenses, unlike normal soft and hard contact lenses, actually fit themselves over the shape of your eye. Remember that fitting for these kinds of lenses takes more time than with regular contact lenses, and could involve multiple trips to the eye doctor. 

Should your keratoconus become severe enough that you need to have your cornea replaced, you can undergo a corneal transplant. 

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Keratoconus can become increasingly worse throughout a person's life, progressing for anywhere between ten to twenty years before slowing in its progression. If you want to be examined for Keratoconus, here are a couple of ways you can be tested by an Ophthalmologist:

An eye refraction test is where you look at letters on the wall and the optometrist slides different lenses around and ask you to say when the letters are clear. It is a standard part of any eye exam. A retinoscope, or a lighted microscope, is used by the doctor as part of the diagnosis as well. Keratometry involves the doctor putting light on your cornea and then measuring the reflection, which helps to determine the shape of your cornea. The slit-lamp exam is when the doctor shines a light onto your eye and then looks into your eye with a low-powered microscope. This helps the doctor figure out if your cornea is losing its shape. Computerized corneal mapping not only sounds cool, but it accurately maps out the surface of your cornea, and can even measure the thickness of your cornea. 

For help Identifying and treating Keratoconus in the Naples Florida area, please call Naples Eye Physicians at (239) 262-6288 to schedule an appointment.