Diseases of the cornea, the outermost layer of your eye
The cornea’s role is to focus your vision and protect or shield your eye from foreign particles such as dust and germs.
Common corneal diseases include:
- Corneal dystrophies (degeneration) – such as Fuchs disease, a gradual decline in vision caused by swelling and clouding on the cornea.
- Keratoconus – when the cornea bulges out, causing blurred vision, light sensitivity and glare (the cause of keratoconus is unknown).
Wearing glasses or contact lenses can help to improve vision in people with corneal diseases, but glasses and contacts don’t treat the disease itself. In many cases, treatment is necessary. Corneal transplant is a common treatment for corneal diseases.
Another emerging treatment option is corneal collagen crosslinking by ultraviolet light with riboflavin. This treatment can help slow the progression of keratoconus and prevent the need for a corneal transplant