What are corneal dystrophies?
Corneal dystrophies are common genetic conditions which cause changes to your cornea without the presence of any inflammation, infection or other eye disease. The clearness (transparency) of the cornea is affected and vision may or may not be disturbed. Corneal dystrophy tends to run in families through either autosomal dominant inheritance (one parent has the condition) or autosomal recessive inheritance (neither parent has the condition, but both parents are ‘carriers’).
Corneal dystrophies can be described in many different ways, but because each dystrophy will start by affecting a particular layer of the cornea, they are often classified by layers of the cornea they affect. Different types of dystrophies include epithelial dystrophies, stromal dystrophies or endothelial dystrophies.
Some of the ways that you can manage Corneal dystrophy include:
- Wearing sunglasses to help minimise glare (different colour tints may be needed for indoor and outdoor use)
- Turning down the screen brightness on your phone, tablet or computer
- Ask for ‘preservative free’ drops, as this helps to make your eyes feel more comfortable.
Further information on corneal dystrophies can be found on the RNIB and Fight for Sight websites.
