About KC
Bringing clarity to KC
Keratoconus, often referred to as “KC,” is a progressive eye disease in which the cornea weakens and thins over time, causing the development of a cone-like bulge and blurry or distorted vision. KC can result in significant vision loss and may lead to a corneal transplant in severe cases.
Know the signs and symptoms to look for
Signs and symptoms of keratoconus can include but are not limited to:
- Excessive eye rubbing
- Mildly blurred vision
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Frequent prescription changes
- Frequent headaches
- Vision that cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses
- A family history of KC
See what’s really going on when you rub your eyes
Damien Gatinel, MD, PhD, Rothschild Foundation Hospital
A recent survey found that distortion, blurriness, light sensitivity, and eye irritation/pain were the most common vision issues affecting keratoconus patients*
*Glaukos data on file
The potential causes of KC
The exact cause of KC is unknown, but genetics, the environment, and the endocrine system (which includes hormonal changes) could play a role in the development of KC. And, yes, excessive eye rubbing may contribute, too.
Who gets KC?
Keratoconus typically affects males and females alike, but some studies have shown a higher rate in males.
The disease is also found in all ethnic groups with some studies showing higher incidence rates among Asian, black, and Hispanic populations.
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Are you seeing the difference?
Drag the slider in either direction to simulate the vision of someone with keratoconus.
Simulation of Keratoconus Patient Vision. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Changes have been made to the original image. Times Square image by Spreng Ben (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)