Generally, the corneal is an essential part of the eye for vision purposes. Thus, helping your eye focus on objects by bending light. As a result, the cornea is prone to various conditions that might alter vision and affect other parts of the eyes. Therefore, if you begin experiencing some eye abnormalities, including extreme light sensitivity, excessive tearing, blurred vision, or red-eye, you are encouraged to seek medical help before serious complications arise. In this case, your ophthalmologist investigates the cause and offers the appropriate treatment. Therefore, if you are experiencing any of the above concerns and seek help, Huntingdon Valley cornea specialists provide a solution to all your problems. They perform a thorough assessment to prevent further or permanent damage to your eye by conducting investigations with a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists. If you are interested in learning more about conditions that might affect your cornea, read on.
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What is the cornea?
The outermost layer of the eye is called the cornea. It is described as clear and dome-shaped to allow light to penetrate and refracts it allowing your eye to focus on the object under vision. The other function of the cornea is to protect the delicate inner parts of the eye by filtering harmful ultraviolet light. It also prevents germs, dirt, and other particles from entering your eye.
What are the most common symptoms of corneal conditions?
You usually begin experiencing different symptoms if your cornea gets damaged by either disease, injury, or infection. However, the most common symptoms experienced when you have corneal conditions include corneal scarring, significant redness, blurred vision, pain, excessive corneal discharge or tearing, or extreme sensitivity to light. Examples of corneal conditions that cause the above symptoms include:
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Shingles
Herpes zoster or shingles is also referred to as reactivated chickenpox in individuals who have had the virus during their early stages of life. Therefore, if your eye contracts shingles, it may lead to the formation of blisters and lesions on your cornea causing fever and nerve pain.
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Keratitis
It refers to an inflammation of the cornea primarily caused by a bacterial or fungal infection. And germs might also enter the eye during a deep injury such as a contact-lens-related injury.
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Dry eye
A dry eye is an eye problem that makes it quite challenging for your eyes to remain adequately lubricated and nourished. In most cases, it is due to inadequate tear production or the production of poor-quality tears, thus causing dryness. In other cases, dry eyes can be a symptom of an allergy. Dry eyes usually cause blurred vision, scratchy eyes, discharge, burning eyes, or the sensation of heavy eyelids.
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Ocular herpes
Sores and inflammation on the surface of your cornea are usually caused by ocular herpes. But with time, the inflammation and sores might spread deep into the cornea and inner parts of the eye. It occurs secondary to herpes simplex 1 infection.
Other additional corneal conditions are Steven-Johnson syndrome, pterygium, and iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, among many others. Therefore, if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms of corneal problems, including tearing and blurred vision, among many others, and seek treatment, you can start by scheduling an appointment at Suburban Eye Associates today.
