There I was, going about my business getting ready for work on Monday morning, when I hear it: ruptu
red cornea. What the…? NPR had struck again, and I was immersed in a story about a teenage girl whose cornea had ruptured due to keratoconus, an eye condition that impacts one in every 2,000 teens and young adults. Over a single weekend, the teen’s eyesight had deteriorated to the point where she couldn’t even see the whiteboard in class.
Keratoconus causes the cornea, which is usually bowl-shaped, to become conical. Normally, for cases caught early on, rigid contact lenses are used for treatment, but this case was too advanced: “…it was kind of like trying to put a plate on a peak. They just kind of wobbled, and didn’t fit.”
My goodness. I supposed there’s one benefit to being a relative old-timer. According to the article, “experts suggest that if you’re a teen or 20-something whose vision is changing so quickly that you find you need to switch the prescription of your glasses or contacts every few months, check with your doctor. You may need to have the shape of your eyes examined.”
So, if you fall into the age category, or have a loved one that does, please make sure vision care is top-of-mind.
Listen to the entire radio piece and accompanying article on npr.org.
