Your beautiful eyes are a vulnerable part of your body. They can easily become infected, damaged, or stricken by illness or injury. Doctors of optometry see patients with a condition known as Keratitis quite frequently. What is Keratitis and how can you avoid its painful effects?
Background
The cornea of your eye is the clear surface that protects all of your eye’s internal structures. Imagine the cornea as a window through which you see. This window can be scratched easily by debris, poor eyecare practices, or sports related accidents. Your cornea can also become irritated and inflamed, as in the case of Keratitis. Dry eye syndrome, introduction of bacteria, viruses, or infection, contact lens wear, and even sunburn to your eye may all result in Keratitis.
Symptoms
For an optometry patient with Keratitis, it is fairly obvious that something is wrong. The condition can be extremely painful and cause you great difficulty even trying to open your eye. The eye may water excessively and become very blurry. Very advanced cases may show white or grey patches on the cornea. It is very important to see an eye doctor immediately any time you suspect you may have an eye issue, since problems can quickly escalate and endanger your vision.
Diagnosis
At your optometry appointment, your doctor may insert drops into your eyes to both numb the pain and also allow him or her to effectively identify the cause of the trouble. The drops contain a dye that helps scratches or damage appear more noticeable with the use of a special lamp. The doctor may also take a culture from your eye fluid to discover any infections. After these tests, you may be diagnosed with Keratitis.
Treatment
Curing Keratitis typically depends upon the cause. Contact lens wearers will be advised to stop wearing their lenses until your eye heals. Infections would be treated with antibiotic or antiviral medications, dry eye syndrome may be treated with wetting drops, and injuries would be repaired or allowed time to heal. If your condition relates to an allergy or poor contact lens maintenance, your doctor of optometry will advise you on how to prevent future issues.
Keratitis is a very painful eye problem that can rapidly decline. Be sure to contact your eye specialist immediately if you have any eye discomfort or changes in your vision, before a bad situation grows worse.
