“Can keratoconus be stopped?”

Early stages can be treated with glasses, but with progression of the disease into late childhood and early adulthood, corneal transplantation may be needed to restore sight. Corneal collagen cross-linking is a procedure designed to stop the progression of keratoconus or slow it down.

Yes, keratoconus can be stopped with a procedure called corneal cross-linking. This procedure can be done if your cornea has not become too thin and you do not have any scars present in the cornea. While many people think that rigid gas-permeable contact lenses stop or slow down keratoconus, this is not the case. These lenses are a way to see better but do not stop the progression of keratoconus.

Corneal cross linking is a procedure used to halt the progression of keratoconus. It is very important however that even after that procedure, you don’t rub your eyes - anything that can cause mechanical friction to your eyes. This is because keratoconus is not “cured” or eliminated after this procedure. After corneal cross linking, you may need special hard contacts for your best visual potential.

We can do gas permeable lenses or corneal crosslinking surgery

Keratoconus is an eye disease that affects the structure of the cornea, resulting in potential loss of vision. Keratoconus occurs in approximately one in 2,000 individuals, typically beginning in puberty and progressing into the mid-30s. Early stages can be treated with glasses, but with progression of the disease into late childhood and early adulthood, a corneal transplant may be necessary to restore sight. Gas permeable contact lenses have been used successfully in order to allow a patient to see better. The gas permeable lens creates a more uniform, regular surface, but there are sometimes some comfort issues due to the irregular shape of the cornea. Also, by wearing a gas permeable contact lens, it is possible to keep the cornea as "stable" as possible for a certain/unknown amount of time. Soft contact lenses are usually not prescribed because the soft lens creates the same irregular surface as the keratoconus cornea. Corneal collagen cross-linking is a procedure designed to stop the progression of keratoconus or slow it down.
There is no known prevention for keratoconus. You should stay under the care of an eye doctor or a corneal specialist where your corneas can be monitored through a procedure called topography. And you should keep all appointments so that a prescription can be prescribed in order to maintain clear and safe vision. Good luck and best wishes.

If you have progressive keratoconus, there is a treatment to slow/stop the progression, This is called "cross-linking" and is a treatment with a B vitamin drop and UV light to strengthen the cornea protein. Can be done as an office therapy. You can ask your eye doctor about this.

I think it can but that is definitely an eye doctor or optometrist question. I take care of sick adults in the hospital. Occasionally I work with ophthalmologists in consultation but it’s usually something severe enough to be hospitalized.

The FDA-approved epithelium on Corneal Crosslinking procedure has been shown to be safe and effective in significantly slowing and, in many cases, stopping the progression of Keratoconus and reducing the need for corneal transplant. In most cases, the earlier the treatment is appropriately applied, the more successful the outcome of preserving functional vision. you can find more good information on the National Keratoconus Foundation website https://nkcf.org.