How Corneal Ectasia Affects Vision and Quality of Life

Corneal ectasia progressively changes the shape and thickness of your cornea. When it becomes thin and bulges outwards, it causes vision problems and discomfort. 

What Causes Corneal Ectasia?

Corneal ectasia can happen for many reasons. Some of them are:

• Eye surgery: Some types of eye surgery, such as LASIK or PRK, can weaken the cornea and make it more likely to develop ectasia.

• Eye injury: The cornea can get damaged and lose its shape and strength from trauma to the eye. 

• Eye disease: The cornea can thin and distort over time from some eye diseases, such as keratoconus or pellucid marginal degeneration.

• Genetics: Some people are born with weak or thin corneas prone to ectasia.

Corneal ectasia usually shows up years after the surgery or injury that caused it. The symptoms worsen over time.

Understanding Corneal Ectasia

Corneal ectasia makes the cornea thin and bulge outwards. At some point, the changes impair your vision quality. It often happens after eye surgeries like LASIK or PRK, where the surgeon removes too much corneal tissue. 

Other things, like genes, eye rubbing, or eye diseases, can also cause it. It usually shows up years after the surgery or injury that caused it. The symptoms tend to worsen over time.

Vision Impairment and Irregular Astigmatism

Corneal ectasia can impair your vision. It can cause irregular astigmatism, making your vision distorted and blurry. You may have trouble reading small print, driving at night, or recognizing faces. Your vision can worsen quickly, both near and far. Glasses or contact lenses may not help much as they cannot correct the corneal shape.

Increased Sensitivity to Light and Glare

Corneal ectasia can make you more sensitive to light and glare. The changing cornea shape can make light scatter. This creates halos or starbursts around lights, especially in the dark or when looking at bright lights. 

Driving at night, using screens, or being in bright places becomes challenging. Light sensitivity can cause discomfort and affect your daily life and social interactions.

Decreased Depth Perception and Stereoscopic Vision

Corneal ectasia can affect your depth perception and stereoscopic vision. These are the abilities to see the depth and distance of objects in three dimensions. The changed cornea changes make light enter the eye differently. 

This distorts your depth perception. You may find it harder to do tasks that need accurate depth perception. These include judging distances, catching objects, or navigating stairs. This can affect your coordination, balance, and spatial awareness.

Reduced Quality of Life and Emotional Impact

Corneal ectasia can affect more than your physical symptoms. It can also affect your quality of life. The vision problems and discomfort caused by corneal ectasia can limit your daily activities, hobbies, and sports. 

You may not be able to do things that you previously enjoyed. This can make you feel frustrated, anxious, and isolated. People with corneal ectasia must get help from healthcare professionals, support groups, and loved ones. They can help you cope with the emotional aspects of the condition.

Conclusion

Corneal ectasia can change the shape and function of your cornea. This can affect your vision and quality of life. You need to understand how corneal ectasia affects your eyesight and daily activities. If you have corneal ectasia or vision problems, get your eyes examined by an eye doctor as soon as possible.

For more information on corneal ectasia, visit Battle Born Eye Care at our Reno, Nevada office. Call (775) 360-6446 to schedule an appointment today.