Keratitis
Keratitis is inflammation of the cornea The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the outside of the eye that covers the pupil and the colored membrane. Keratitis may be associated with infection Non-infectious keratitis can be caused by injury, long-term use of contact lenses or other diseases. Infectious keratitis is caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites
If you have redness or other symptoms of keratitis, see your doctor With prompt treatment, mild or moderate keratitis usually resolves without complications (blindness). Left untreated, keratitis can become severe and cause complications such as permanent vision loss and blindness.
Causes of keratitis are:
- damage If a foreign body scratches the surface of the cornea, keratitis will develop without infection In addition, non-infectious keratitis may be complicated by bacterial, fungal infection, as these microorganisms penetrate the damaged surface more easily.
- Contaminated contact lenses Bacteria, fungi, especially the small parasite Acanthamoeba, may live on the contact lens surface and contaminate the cornea when you put the lens on, causing infectious keratitis.
- Viruses Viruses such as herpesvirus (herpes simplex or zoster) or the microorganism chlamydia may cause keratitis.
- Contaminated water Chemicals in water, which are sometimes used to clean swimming pools, irritate the eye and cause damage to the corneal epithelium. The damage causes chemical keratitis This condition is mostly temporary and lasts for a few minutes or hours If the water contains bacteria, fungi, or parasites (especially in oceans, rivers, lakes, or hot tubs), keratitis may develop from contact with that water. However, if the cornea is intact and healthy, the risk of infection is low If the surface of the cornea is physically damaged in some way due to contact lenses or other reasons, the delicate surface of this tissue becomes more easily infected and infectious keratitis develops.
Signs and symptoms of keratitis include:
- Redness of the eye
- Eye pain
- Excessive tearing or discharge from the eye
- Difficulty moving the eyelid due to pain or irritation
- Blurred vision
- Vision Delayed diagnosis and treatment is associated with a higher risk of complications such as blindness
