Prevent Blindness Texas Declares First-Ever Keratoconus Week, March 23- 29, 2026, to Raise Awareness, Provide Educational Resources on the Eye Disease
– Prevent Blindness Texas Offers New Keratoconus Flyers in English and Spanish, a fact sheet, a dedicated webpage and social media graphics –
Texas (March 19, 2026) –Prevent Blindness Texas has declared March 23-29, 2026, as its first-ever Keratoconus Week. The group is offering free resources promoted during the week, including a fact sheet, a new flyer “Your Teen’s Blurry Vision Could be a Sign of Keratoconus” in English and Spanish, a dedicated webpage, and social media graphics. The inaugural Prevent Blindness Texas Keratoconus Week is supported by Glaukos.
Keratoconus is an eye disease that results in a thin, weakened cornea. The cornea becomes irregular and stretches, creating a cone-like bulge. The change in the shape of the cornea causes vision to be blurry and distorted.
According to the Moran Eye Center/University of Utah Health, keratoconus is the most common corneal dystrophy in the United States, affecting one in every 2,000 Americans. It is more common in teenagers and adults in their 20s.
Symptoms of keratoconus may include:
- Blurry vision
- Frequent changes in eyeglass prescription
- Eye squinting and headaches
- Sensitivity to bright lights or glare
- Frequently rubbing the eyes
- Trouble seeing clearly at night
Although there is no current cure for keratoconus, sight may be saved if it is detected and treated early. Types of effective treatment include the use scleral lenses or rigid gas permeable contact lenses; corneal crosslinking (CXL), a one-hour treatment that combines riboflavin (Vitamin B) eyedrops and ultraviolet light to halt the progression of keratoconus; and corneal transplants. Transplants are reserved for the most severe cases, and is when a diseased cornea is replaced with a clear healthy cornea from a human donor.
“The best ways to save sight from keratoconus and many other eye diseases and conditions is through early detection and access to treatment,” said Heather Patrick, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Texas. “We encourage patients to team up with their eye doctor to put together an effective treatment plan that meets their specific eye care needs.”
For more information about Keratoconus please visit PreventBlindnessTexas.org/keratoconus,
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit PreventBlindnessTexas.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
About Prevent Blindness Texas
Established in 1956 and incorporated in 1965, Prevent Blindness Texas is the state’s leading eye health and safety nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. At Prevent Blindness Texas, our vision is vision – making healthy eyes a priority in Texas. We focus on improving the state’s vision and eye health by enhancing community capacity through our core competencies of early detection, patient support, systems enhancement, public policy, public awareness, and health education. Prevent Blindness Texas touches the lives of thousands of Texans through our sight-saving programs and services through our network of volunteers and offices located statewide. For more information, or to contribute to the sight-saving fund, call 1-888-98-SIGHT or, visit us on the Web at www.preventblindnesstexas.org, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.