The cornea is a clear structure on the front of the eye. It helps to focus the light. Diseases of the cornea can cause blurred vision, pain, redness, and sensitivity to light. Many diseases including infections can affect the cornea.
Herpes Virus Keratitis: The Herpes virus can severely affect the cornea. Symptoms mimic “pink eye” with redness, pain, light sensitivity and blurred vision. It is very important to differentiate this condition from other bacterial or viral infections. A detailed examination using a slitlamp is needed to diagnose Herpes infection. Antibiotics are not effective in treating Herpes. Topical steroids can make the condition worse. This is usually treated with anti-viral drugs both topical and oral. Treatment can sometimes last for many months. Regular follow up appointments are required to monitor for disease progression. Herpes can recur and may require use of anti-virals long term to suppress the virus.
Zoster Keratitis (Shingles): This is caused by the virus that causes Chickenpox. This can be a devastating disease. The cornea and other parts of the eye can become involved. Symptoms include redness, pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision and a rash over the forehead and face. If you are diagnosed with Shingles it is very important to have a comprehensive ophthalmic examination immediately. Shingles in the eye can lead to scarring, inflammation and loss of vision. The treatment can last for many months.
Dry Eyes: Dry eyes can cause keratitis (inflammation of the cornea). Please see the dry eye section on this website for more details.
Fuch’s Dystrophy: This is a common condition which occurs with age. In this condition a part of the cornea called the endothelium becomes damaged and the cornea becomes swollen progressively. This leads to decrease in vision over time. Treatment with hypertonic sodium chloride solution may help in early cases. More advanced cases require surgery to replace the diseased endothelium with a donor endothelium.
Corneal Ulcer: This is a very serious condition that can lead to vision loss and even perforation of the cornea. Symptoms include pain, redness, decreased vision and light sensitivity. Most commonly the ulcers occur with contact lens wear. Sleeping in contact lenses significantly increases the risk of developing an ulcer. Most ulcers are bacterial; however, viral and fungal ulcers can occur with prolonged contact lens wear or with poor contact lens hygiene. Treatment requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Non-infectious ulcers can occur in patients with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Corneal ulcers can progress rapidly and can lead to a perforation of the cornea requiring urgent surgery.
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