In parallel with the World Cornea Day, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has published an infographic on its Twitter page and its awareness platform «Live Well»; to introduce keratoconus, its causes and treatment. “Keratoconus is an eye disorder which results in progressive thinning of the cornea causing it to bulge outward into a cone shape. This cone-shaped cornea results in vision problems and nearsightedness (myopia). The exact cause of keratoconus is still unknown, but it could be attributed to genetics and rubbing the eyes vigorously, especially due to certain type of allergies. The most common symptom of keratoconus are poor visual impairment and a need for frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions during the early stages, in addition to increased sensitivity to light,” MOH stated.
MOH added: “The risk factors of keratoconus lie in the fact that people of all age groups can develop it, however it often first appears among people in their early twenties. Both eyes are affected, but one is usually worse than the other. This condition progresses more rapidly in younger patients, but when a patient reaches their mid-30s, it may begin to slow down or stop progressing”. MOH pointed out that the most vulnerable groups to KC are people with certain eye conditions (such as: Leber congenital amaurosis and Retinitis pigmentosa), in addition to people with certain genetic diseases (such as: Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Osteogenesis imperfecta «brittle bone disease», Marfan syndrome, and Ehlers–Danlos syndrome)”.