Can rubbing your eyes make you go blind? For 14-year-old Achilles, featured in a recent health article in the Belgian magazine HLN (HLN.be, April 2025), the answer came painfully close to “yes.”
Keratoconus is a progressive condition that thins and distorts the cornea. In the case of keratoconus in teenagers—especially boys with allergies—it often goes undiagnosed until vision is severely compromised. Achilles began rubbing his eyes during allergy season. Months later, his vision deteriorated so quickly that he could barely recognize faces on the tennis court.
“I could just barely see someone on the other side of the net,” he said, “but whether it was a boy or a girl? No idea.” His mother admitted, “We used to laugh and say, ‘Achilles, you’re going to rub your eyes out!’ But we had no idea how serious it could get.”
When local doctors diagnosed keratoconus, they warned that without immediate treatment, Achilles could lose all functional vision in his right eye. As the Gezondheid article reports, ophthalmologist Dr. Steven Renier noted, “In the worst case, untreated keratoconus leads to blindness. A corneal transplant may be the only option, but it rarely restores more than 60–70% of vision.”
Desperate for answers, Achilles’ family contacted the ELZA Institute in Zurich, Switzerland—home to some of the world’s foremost experts in keratoconus treatment in teenagers. Prof. Farhad Hafezi and Dr. Emilio Torres-Netto, two pioneers in the treatment of complex corneal disorders, reviewed his case and arranged an urgent appointment. “There was no time to waste,” his father said. “If we waited, Achilles risked losing all vision in that eye.”
At ELZA, Achilles received customized corneal cross-linking to halt the disease’s progression. “According to Prof. Hafezi, I’ll still be able to do everything others can,” Achilles said. “I might not become a pilot or a pro tennis player, but that was never the plan anyway.”
This case highlights a growing public health concern: keratoconus in teenagers is on the rise, yet still misunderstood. Many opticians prescribe glasses or contact lenses without performing topography. Meanwhile, seasonal allergies go undertreated and eye rubbing continues unchecked.
Early intervention can preserve vision. ELZA’s approach to keratoconus treatment in teenagers involves personalized cross-linking protocols and advanced diagnostics that allow for stabilization before irreversible damage occurs.
So why are we still behind?
- If you’re an optometrist: Are you screening all young patients with astigmatism
- If you’re a parent: Are you taking eye rubbing seriously during allergy season?
- If you’re in healthcare policy: Where’s the education campaign about keratoconus prevention?
Keratoconus doesn’t knock—it creeps. Let’s stop it before it enters the room.
