What Is Keratoconus?

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped surface at the front of your eye. In a healthy eye, it holds a fairly round shape. With keratoconus, that dome gradually thins and begins to bulge outward into more of a cone shape. That shift distorts the way light enters your eye, which is what causes the blurry, distorted, or double vision that many patients describe.

Keratoconus usually shows up in the teens or early twenties and progresses slowly over time, though the rate varies a lot from person to person. Some people experience only mild changes for decades. Others notice more rapid shifts, especially early on.

How Keratoconus Is Diagnosed

A standard eye chart won’t catch keratoconus on its own. Diagnosis typically involves corneal mapping, which creates a detailed topographic image of your cornea’s surface. At Premier Eye Center, we use advanced diagnostic technology to detect corneal irregularities early, often before symptoms become disruptive.

If you’ve been bouncing between optometrists getting updated prescriptions without lasting improvement, that’s worth bringing up at your next visit. Keratoconus is one of those conditions that’s easy to miss if no one’s specifically looking for it.

Managing Keratoconus: What Are the Options?

Early on, updated glasses or soft contact lenses may be enough to manage mild keratoconus. As the condition progresses, specialty contact lenses become the more effective route, since they create a smooth optical surface over the irregular cornea.

Scleral Lenses

Scleral lenses are one of the most effective options for keratoconus patients, and they’re available right here in Prescott. These larger lenses vault completely over the cornea and rest on the white of the eye (the sclera). Because they don’t touch the cone at all, they’re often more comfortable than traditional rigid lenses, and they can provide significantly sharper vision.

Premier Eye Center was one of the first practices in the area to offer scleral lens fittings locally. Before that, patients had to drive to Phoenix for a series of appointments. We’re able to fit most patients in just a few visits, which makes the whole process a lot more manageable.

Treating Keratoconus

A patient with early keratoconus was diagnosed during a routine vision exam and referred for a corneal cross-linking procedure to help prevent the progression of keratoconus.

Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive eye disease where the normally round, dome-shaped cornea gradually becomes thinner and irregular over time. As a result, people with keratoconus may notice blurry or distorted vision, increased light sensitivity, glare or halos at night, and frequent changes in their eyeglass prescription.

Keratoconus usually begins in the teenage years or early adulthood and can slowly worsen over time. In early stages, vision can often be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses. As the condition progresses and the cornea becomes more irregular, specialized contact lenses like scleral lenses can achieve better vision than glasses.

Early detection of keratoconus is especially important today because of a treatment called corneal crosslinking (CXL). Corneal crosslinking is a minimally invasive procedure that strengthens the cornea helping it become more stable and less likely to continue bulging.

While crosslinking does not typically reverse keratoconus, it can stop or significantly slow the progression of the disease. Detecting keratoconus early allows doctors to treat patients before significant corneal damage occurs, preserving vision and reducing the likelihood that more invasive treatments—such as a corneal transplant—will be needed later in life. Because keratoconus can progress silently in its early stages, regular eye exams and modern corneal imaging technologies are key to identifying the condition early.

Frequently Asked Questions About Keratoconus

Can keratoconus be cured?
There’s no cure for keratoconus, but it can be effectively managed. Specialty contact lenses like sclerals can restore very functional, often excellent vision. Corneal cross-linking can slow or halt progression in some patients. Most people with keratoconus lead normal, active lives with the right care in place.

Does keratoconus always get worse?
Not always. Progression tends to be most active in younger patients, often slowing down or stabilizing in the mid-thirties. Regular monitoring is important so you can respond quickly if things are changing.

Are scleral lenses covered by insurance?
Coverage varies. Scleral lenses are often classified as medically necessary for keratoconus, which means some medical vision plans will contribute. Our team can help you understand your benefits before committing to any treatment.

Can I still wear regular contacts if I have keratoconus?
In early, mild cases, sometimes yes. As the cornea becomes more irregular, standard soft lenses typically don’t provide adequate vision correction and may not fit properly. That’s when specialty lens options become the practical path forward.

How is keratoconus different from astigmatism?
They can look similar on the surface since both involve an irregularly shaped cornea. Astigmatism is very common and usually stable. Keratoconus is a progressive condition with a distinct pattern of corneal thinning and bulging. A corneal topography map is the most reliable way to tell them apart.