Symptoms of Keratoconus

Symptoms of keratoconus

Keratoconus usually appears in people in their late teens or through their 20s. Early symptoms include slight blurring, doubling or shadowing of vision, which cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. As the condition develops, other symptoms can include:

• Glare and halos around lights
• Distorted vision (with straight lines appearing wavy or bent)
• Difficulty seeing at night
• Increased light sensitivity (photophobia)
• Increased blurring of vision
• Eye irritation, redness, swelling or pain
• Headaches
• Sudden deterioration or clouding of vision
• Increased near-sightedness (when objects that are far-away look blurry)
• Difficulty in focusing eyes
• Contact lenses no longer fitting or being uncomfortable

Keratoconus can take many years to develop, but for some people it happens much more suddenly. For these people, the cornea may scar and become cloudy, reducing vision further.

Are both eyes affected?

Keratoconus usually affects both eyes, but can be more severe in one eye than the other.

Find out how Assistive Technology helps to manage tasks made difficult by low vision and blindness.