Treatment of corneal inflammation (keratitis)
What is the cornea?
The cornea is a complex structure of the eye which, in addition to its protective role, is responsible for three quarters of the dioptric power of the eye. The normal cornea has no blood supply and nutrients come to it through the aqueous humour.
When does corneal inflammation occur?
The cornea is the tissue with the largest number of nerve endings in the body and all damages to the cornea are associated with the appearance of pain, photophobia and tearing and it has five layers. Superficial corneal damage usually affects the surface layers of the cornea (corneal epithelium) and manifests as superficial keratitis and usually does not leave scars.
The causes of superficial keratitis can be dry eye, infections, chronic blepharitis, incomplete closing of the eyes, prolonged wearing of contact lenses. However, this does not apply to deep keratitis. Namely, it affects the deeper layers of the cornea and usually leaves a scar that can cause a decrease in visual acuity
When does deep keratitis appear?
The causes of deep keratitis can be infectious (bacteria, viruses and fungi) and non-infectious (immunological hyperreactivity as a reaction to a certain foreign antigen). The most common symptoms and signs of keratitis are pain, feeling of a foreign body in the eye, photophobia, lacrimation, redness and purulent secretion in bacterial keratitis.
Treatment of deep keratitis
Treatment is carried out with local antibiotic drops and ointments, local corticosteroid preparations, therapeutic contact lenses, amniotic membrane in persistent epithelial defects or limbal cell transplantation.
Corneitis caused by infection can progress rapidly and requires antibacterial, antifungal or antiviral treatment to eliminate the pathogen. Otherwise, inflammation of the cornea or keratitis, can also be associated with poor contact lens hygiene, so good hand hygiene when handling contact lenses or the use of daily contact lenses is recommended to reduce the possibility of infection to a minimum.
If you wear contact lenses, it is best to stop wearing them and throw away contaminated contact lenses and their containers.
If you need an ophthalmological examination, contact us with confidence and arrange your appointment.
