Do you have blurry vision and not know why? You’re not alone. Millions of people suffer with blurry vision and other vision problems and either don’t or can’t get to an eye doctor who can properly diagnose their problem. Steph Curry, maybe one of the best basketball players of all time, found himself in that situation. He announced recently (as shown in this local ABC TV news report) that he has been playing with Keratoconus, a somewhat uncommon eye condition. He was finally diagnosed in 2019 after 10 years in the NBA.

Yes, Steph Curry has Keratoconus, a progressive eye condition that causes blurry vision, double vision, halos, dry eyes, light sensitivity and other problems. How he managed to sink so many baskets speaks more to his skill and dedication than anything. And now he is certain to get even better. But what exactly is Keratoconus? What causes it? How is it treated? Let’s answer those questions and more.

What Is Keratoconus

Your eye has many parts. Your cornea is a transparent layer that forms the outer surface of the eye. Behind that is the eye’s lens. Light passes through them both to reach the retina at the back of the eye. Keratoconus is caused by a weakness in the cornea that causes the cornea to bulge and become cone-shaped (the “conus” part of the condition’s name).

However, this cone shape is not usually smooth or symmetrical. So, imagine a cone with bumps and valleys rather than a smooth cone. That causes the light that passes through it to bend in unpredictable ways, which causes many of the symptoms listed above.

What Causes Keratoconus?

Although a single cause of Keratoconus has not been found, several contributing factors, including genetics, frequent eye rubbing, and allergies, have been identified.

Who Has Keratoconus?

• It was once thought that about one in 2000 people had Keratoconus, but our more advanced diagnostic techniques now show that it may be as many as one in 400 people.
• Among those with Down Syndrome, as many as 15% may have Keratoconus.
• About 60% of people with Keratoconus are males, and 40% females.
• Keratoconus is usually diagnosed in your 20’s but can begin at any time.
• Children of those with Keratoconus have a higher chance of having the disease themselves.

Keratoconus Treatments

Many Optometrists who are not trained in correctly identifying or treating Keratoconus might try to treat this condition with glasses or conventional contact lenses. This only works in very mild Keratoconus cases and often frustrates patients. Glasses don’t work because they do not move when the eyes move. Conventional contacts don’t work because they are smooth and symmetrical, so they don’t fit properly or comfortably on a cone-shaped, uneven eye with Keratoconus.

Some Keratoconus is so bad that it requires actual surgery, usually a corneal graft, to replace the cornea. Other surgeries include “Intacs,” which are small pieces of plastic that help to reshape the cornea. And there is one outpatient surgical procedure, called Corneal Crosslinking, that is effectively used to halt the progression of Keratoconus.

However, in most cases, the best keratoconus treatment is using Scleral Contact Lenses. Unlike regular contact lenses, which rest on the eye, these specialized contact lenses actually “vault” over the entire cornea and extend all the way to the whites of your eyes — the part called the “Sclera.”

Steph Curry’s Keratoconus treatment is these scleral lenses. However, designing and fitting these contact lenses is not easy, and only the very latest high-tech equipment can create a prescription for “the Perfect Kerataconus Contact Lens” for you.

Dr. Barry Leonard Has Keratoconus

My name is Dr. Barry Leonard, and I am one of the most experienced and well-known Keratoconus Doctors in the country. What drives my passion for treating Keratoconus? It’s because I actually have Keratoconus. So, not only do I treat patients with Keratoconus, but I am a patient, too. I wear these scleral contact lenses I just described, just like Steph Curry, and I can see perfectly clearly and comfortably. 

Do You Have Keratoconus, Too?

So, do you have Keratoconus, too? Here are some of the symptoms of Keratoconus and questions to ask yourself:

• Does your eyeglass prescription change frequently? Keratoconus is a progressive disease that causes your eyes to change over time.
• Do you have trouble seeing at night? Most Keratoconus sufferers do.
• Do you see Halos? Circles around light sources are common with Keratoconus sufferers.
• Are you sensitive to bright light?
• Do your contact lenses cause you pain and discomfort? Regular contact lenses seldom work for those with Keratoconus.
• Frequent headaches are also a symptom of Keratoconus.

If you have one or more of these symptoms, you need to be seen by a Keratoconus Specialist, as Steph Curry did. If you live anywhere near the Los Angeles area, make a Keratoconus screening appointment with the specialists at the California Keratoconus Center, founded by Dr. Barry Leonard. Or call our office at 818-891-6711. We understand what you’re going through and are looking forward to helping you see clearly and comfortably.