Keratitis: A Serious Eye Infection
Wednesday, August 15th, 2018, 5:40 am
Unfortunately, even the most clean people can forget to dump out their nightly contact solution or accidentally rub their eye after touching money, computer keyboards, or worse. If you’ve recently developed an eye infection, we feel for you. Keep reading to learn about Keratitis, a particularly troublesome issue that you may be at increased risk for if you wear contact lenses.
What is Keratitis?
Keratitis is where the cornea of the eye becomes inflamed. The cornea is the clear part of your eye that covers the iris and pupil, protecting them. Keratitis can occur as a result of illness (herpes or chlamydia), injury, or even infection from old makeup or untreated water. Keratitis can most often be treated without complication, though serious cases can result in blindness or permanent damage.
Identifying Keratitis
Keratitis will often show up in your eye as redness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, general tenderness, or even problems opening your eye completely.
How do you treat Keratitis?
Treatment can vary, since your specific Keratitis may occur from numerous sources. Often, you will be asked to forgo wearing your contacts during treatment, which may last five days or longer. Your doctor will likely suggest that you use a medical ointment or antibiotic eye drops daily. You may be asked to return to visit your doctor to make sure the Keratitis is gone before you can start wearing your contacts again. Going without contacts might not be an issue for you if you have a smaller prescription, enjoy wearing your glasses, or have a good pair of glasses with your current prescription. Some patients do not have glasses, so you may be left unable to see well for a few days if you wear contacts, have a large prescription, and develop Keratitis.
Taking care to properly disinfect your contacts every night is important in helping reduce your risk of getting Keratitis. If you would like to avoid the complication altogether, call us today to schedule an appointment to discuss LASIK options. Dial (800) 344-7058 for a consultation at our Illinois office or call (877) 269-4545 for our Missouri location.
Category: Eye Condition
