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The cornea is an important part of the eye structure. It is through her that the light enters the eye. The cornea refracts and focuses its beam, which makes it possible to see clearly. A common disease of the cornea is a cone, which distorts the image, and our vision is not clear. This makes everyday activities such as reading or driving a car difficult.
Cornea – functions
The cornea is the convex part of the eye, which allows it to focus light rays. The cornea itself is not supplied with blood, but it has a lot of pain endings.
The task of the cornea is to break and focus the light rays at the same time to create a clear image. It is the cornea that is the first layer of the eye through which light vines into the eye. The cornea focuses the light much more strongly than the lens and is not in any way regulated as opposed to the lens.
In addition, the structure of the cornea means that the drugs used can penetrate deep into the eye, such as eye drops, which soothe irritations and moisturize the eyeball.
Check it out: The secrets of the organ of sight, that is, about the structure of the eye
Cornea – structure
The cornea is made up of five layers. These are:
- posterior corneal epithelium;
- inner boundary plate;
- istota właściwa rogówki;
- front border plate;
- anterior corneal epithelium.
In the construction of the cornea, it is also worth highlighting the corneal limbus. Although the cornea is quite thin (about 0,8 mm thick), its structure is quite complicated. Behind the cornea is a watery liquid, behind which is in turn a lens. The cornea of the eyeball it is nourished by the diffusion of tears and aqueous humor.
Check it out: How to safely improve your eyesight? The expert advises
Cornea – damage
Corneal injuries can be very painful because the cornea has a lot of pain endings. It can be damaged in many ways. Most often they are superficial injuries, such as scratches with a fingernail or even a slight abrasion that will damage this delicate structure.
The most difficult damages are those caused by thermal or chemical damage. Then it appears:
- strong tearing;
- pain;
- photophobia.
As a consequence, we see worse corneal damage, and in extreme cases we lose our eyesight. Minor injuries of the cornea They usually heal in a few days as it regenerates quickly.
Check it out: LASEK method – the effect of corrective treatment and recommendations
Cornea – diseases of the cornea
The cornea of the eye is also not free from diseases and other ailments. They are mainly:
- keratoconus – the most common disease of the cornea. This is an unnatural and noticeable bulge on the cornea. This ailment makes every activity very difficult because it has a negative effect on our ability to see. So the problem is reading, working on the computer or driving a car;
- viral keratitis of the eye – it is an infectious disease which, if neglected, can have serious consequences for health. The disease often recurs. A symptom viral keratitis there is eye pain, redness and photophobia. In addition, the eye tears heavily and we see worse;
- loss of clarity of the cornea – it is a consequence of a history of corneal diseases. Most often it is the result of congenital defects, but also of past corneal diseases, metabolic diseases and degenerations. In this case, corneal transplantation is often the only treatment option.
Cornea – keratoconus
The causes of keratoconus
It is not known what the exact cause of keratoconus is. It is suspected that the development of the cone may be influenced by:
- genetic factors (to some extent), as the disease often appears in the circle of members of one family;
- studies have shown that sick people lack the enzymes responsible for collagen fibers;
- eye injuries – excessive rubbing, the use of hard contact lenses for a very long time;
- history of eye diseases, e.g. retinitis pigmentosa, conjunctivitis or keratitis;
- systemic diseases, e.g. Down syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta.
Keratoconus symptoms
The symptoms of keratoconus are most visible in both eyes, but the symptoms may vary from eye to eye. Symptoms become apparent in the late teens. These are:
- blurry vision;
- poor visual acuity;
- duża wrażliwość na światło;
- irritation;
- visible flare around the light source.
However, symptoms depend on the severity of the disease. The keratoconus develops at different rates, even for 20 years, after which the disease stops. When it comes to worsening of keratoconus, it comes to:
- visual impairment and impairment, which means that we have to change glasses frequently;
- rapid worsening of astigmatism and myopia;
- sudden swelling of the cornea;
- appearance of scars – the cornea is no longer smooth, it loses its translucency, which leads to further deterioration of vision.
Keratoconus diagnosis
The corneal cone is diagnosed during an ophthalmological examination with a slit lamp, but only advanced cases of the disease are visible in this examination. If the changes are more delicate, additional tests may be necessary.
Keratoconus treatment
Treatment for keratoconus depends on the stage at which it is diagnosed. Initially, glasses or soft contact lenses will suffice. More advanced cases require the use of hard contact lenses. Their task is to evenly refract the light, thanks to which the image on the lens is not distorted.
Another method of treatment is intracorneal rings. They are two thin plastic half rings that are implanted into the środkowe warstwy rogówki. As a result, the cornea changes shape and flattens.
Cross linking is also a method of treating keratoconus. It is a safe procedure that consists in removing the corneal epithelium, soaking the cornea in a special liquid, and then hardening the cornea to prevent its further deformation. You can buy cross linking without leaving your home at medonetmarket.pl.
Cross-linking is used to halt disease progression. This is a procedure in which riboflavin drops are put into the eye. These drops are irradiated with UV radiation to increase the amount of cross-links between the collagen fibers, which strengthens the cornea.
Corneal transplantation is also used to treat the cone, but it is only necessary in very advanced cases. The transplant is used in the case of scars on the cornea, lens intolerance or excessive thinning of the cornea. Performs:
- hollow cornea transplant – excision of the patient’s own corneal flap and replacement with a donor flap;
- layered deep anterior corneal transplant – removal of the front and middle parts of the patient’s own cornea, and then implantation of a donor flap in this place. This type of transplant heals faster and carries a lower risk of rejection.
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