Symptoms of keratitis include:
- Severe pain
- Reduced visual clarity
- Corneal discharge
Treatment usually includes antibiotic or antifungal eye
drops.
Ocular herpes (herpes of the eye)
This is a viral infection of the eye that may reoccur. The main
cause of ocular herpes is the herpes simplex virus I (HSV I). This
is the same virus that causes cold sores, but ocular herpes can
also result from the sexually transmitted herpes simplex II virus
(HSV II) that causes genital herpes.
Ocular herpes produces sores on the surface of the cornea; over
time, the inflammation can spread deeper into the cornea and
eye.
There is no cure for ocular herpes, but it can often be
controlled with the use of antiviral drugs.
Herpes zoster (shingles)
Shingles is a recurrence of the chicken pox virus in people who
have already had the disease. After the bout of chicken pox, this
virus usually remains inactive within the nerves of the body. It
can later travel down these nerves, infecting specific parts of the
body, like the eye. Herpes zoster can cause blisters or lesions on
the cornea, fever, and pain from nerve fibers. Corneal lesions
usually heal by themselves, but antiviral treatment may reduce the
inflammation.
Shingles is a recurrence of the chicken pox virus in people who
have already had the disease. After the bout of chicken pox, this
virus usually remains inactive within the nerves of the body. It
can later travel down these nerves, infecting specific parts of the
body, like the eye. Herpes zoster can cause blisters or lesions on
the cornea, fever, and pain from nerve fibers. Corneal lesions
usually heal by themselves, but antiviral treatment may reduce the
inflammation.
Shingles can occur in anyone exposed to the chicken pox virus,
but there is an increased risk in older adults (especially those
over age 80) and people with a weakened immune system.
See your doctor if you have any symptoms of shingles.
Corneal dystrophies
There are more than 20 corneal dystrophies, diseases that cause
structural problems with the cornea. Some of the most common
are:
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a progressive disease in which the cornea thins and
changes shape. Keratoconus changes the curvature of the cornea,
creating either mild or severe distortion, called astigmatism, and
usually nearsightedness. Keratoconus may also cause swelling and
scarring of the cornea and vision loss.
Causes of keratoconus include:
- Genetics (a person can inherit a tendency to get the condition
from a parent.)
- Eye trauma (for example, from rubbing your eyes or long-term
use of hard contacts)
- Eye diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, retinopathy of
prematurity, and vernal keratoconjunctivitis
- Other diseases, like Down syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta,
Addison's disease, Leber's congenital amaurosis, and Ehlers-Danlos
Syndrome