Corneal inflammation is a common eye disease.
Any form of the inflammatory process is dangerous and must be treated.
Unpleasant treatment measures will lead to the development of serious and dangerous complications.
Corneal inflammation causes
Specialists distinguish two main groups of reasons due to which a disease such as keratitis occurs, otherwise inflammation of the cornea. So, the groups of reasons are as follows:
1. Exogenous - this includes all natural, external stimuli.
2. Endogenous - the pathogen enters the eye directly from the body.
Exogenous causes include the following:
1. Traumatic inflammation, occurs after any injury, mechanical or chemical.
2. Inflammation as a result of a burn photo, for example, from prolonged exposure to the sun.
3. Infectious inflammation.
4. Inflammation of a viral nature.
5. The causative agent of inflammation is a fungus.
6. Inflammation due to conjunctivitis.
Inflammation due to endogenous factors can also be viral or bacterial, but the difference is that the pathogen enters the eye with a blood stream. This also includes neurogenic inflammation.
The most common type of inflammatory process is considered infectious, it can occur due to various streptococci, E. coli, or even because of the herpes virus.
In young children, the cornea can become inflamed due to chickenpox or measles. At the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to contact a medical institution as soon as possible in order to avoid serious complications.
In addition to all the reasons listed above, keratitis can occur due to impaired metabolism, lack of vitamins in the body. With dry eye syndrome, the risk of getting sick increases several times. Even a perfectly healthy person wearing contact lenses can sometimes experience the fact that his cornea becomes inflamed.
Corneal inflammation - symptoms
With inflammation of the cornea, the symptoms are quite specific and usually have a common manifestation. In the patient's condition, the following is noted:
1. In the eyes of a constant feeling of pain and pain.
2. It is not possible to be indoors or outdoors in bright light.
3. Lachrymation may occur at any minute.
4. There may be a feeling that there is a foreign body in the eye, such as a mote.
5. Cramping of the eyelids, this is expressed in the fact that the eyes are difficult to open.
6. The head hurts periodically.
7. The eye muscles jerk reflexively.
8. Vision drops.
9. The cornea becomes cloudy.
If there are such signs, you should contact a medical institution as soon as possible.
An examination specialist can identify the following signs of the disease:
1. There are sores on the cornea, their shape and size are different. The manifestation may be different, depending on how many cells are affected.
2. Hypermia of the eyeball. Blood vessels expand, new ones arise.
3. The cornea becomes not so transparent and sensitive, the whole point is that there is an internal edema.
These are the main symptoms and signs of the disease, you can notice them yourself, however, only a doctor can conduct an accurate diagnosis.
Corneal inflammation - a complication
There are actually not many complications after inflammation of the cornea, but even those that still exist are extremely dangerous. Due to the inflammatory process, scars or clouding may form on the cornea; because of it, vision will not be as good as it was before. In addition, inflammation may develop on the choroid of the eye, to which secondary glaucoma will subsequently attach.
Such a variety of keratitis as amoebic is difficult to treat, so as a result a person can simply become blind. In order to avoid the development of the disease and complications after it, it is necessary to contact a medical institution immediately after the first symptoms have been noticed. Self-medication is not worth it, especially if the diagnosis has not yet been made.
Very often, keratitis can be confused with conjunctivitis, because the symptoms are similar, but in fact they are completely different diseases and their treatment has no similarities. It is a timely visit to a doctor that will guarantee that the treatment will be successful.
Corneal inflammation - diagnosis
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary first of all to find out whether the patient recently suffered from infectious diseases, whether his eyes and others were injured.
An optometrist, conducting an external examination, first of all draws his attention to how severe the disease is, and also takes into account all local changes.
In order for the diagnosis to be most accurate, specialists use eye biomicroscopy. With this study, it is possible to accurately determine the size of the corneal lesion.
You can measure the thickness of the cornea using a method such as pachymetry, which in turn can be of two types: optical and ultrasonic.
In order to identify the depth of the lesion, it is necessary to conduct confocal microscopy. And with the help of such a study as keratotopography, one can investigate refraction.
To identify ulcers and erosion, it is necessary to conduct a special test, its essence lies in the fact that a solution of sodium fluorescein is applied to the cornea, the entire erosion surface begins to turn green.
Bacteriological culture is of great importance; it is collected from the edge of the ulcer and from the bottom. In addition to the methods listed above, a cytological examination is used, the material for this is taken from the cornea (scraping). If necessary, experts conduct an allergic test.
Corneal inflammation - treatment
In order for the treatment to be effective, the patient is placed in a hospital. The nature of the therapy will depend on what form of the disease has been diagnosed:
1. Fungal inflammation must be treated with antifungal drugs.
2. Herpetic inflammation - in no case can be used to treat corticosteroid ointments.
3. If the inflammatory process arose due to the presence of a foreign body in the eye, then it is necessary to remove it as soon as possible.
4. In case of bacterial inflammation, it is necessary to use ointments, medicinal films, which contain antibiotics. In some cases, injections are prescribed.
5. For a disease that has arisen due to tuberculosis or syphilis, it is necessary to carry out anti-tuberculosis therapy.
6. If keratitis has arisen due to the constant use of contact lenses, it is necessary to abandon them and use glasses.
7. The viral form of inflammation requires the use of antiviral agents.
8. Allergic diseases involves identifying the source of allergies and eliminating them.
With the manifestation of corneal epithelium, an operation is performed. You can restore vision using the keratoplasty procedure, it is also necessary if the usual methods do not bring a positive result for one month.
Folk remedies
For treatment, not only conservative treatment is used, but also traditional medicine. You can use the following recipes:
1. Mummy and aloe juice. In order to prepare medicinal drops, you need to take two leaves of aloe (preferably if it is three years old), wrap it with paper and put in the refrigerator for exactly one week. Take a plant, squeeze the juice, add one piece of mummy. The resulting solution should be dripped into a sore eye, twice a day.
2. Celandine and propolis. It is necessary to squeeze the juice from celandine and combine with an aqueous solution of propolis in equal proportions. Drop into the eyes before going to bed, two drops.
3. Sea buckthorn oil. It is necessary to instill oil in the eyes in order to eliminate photophobia. In the first week, instill two drops once an hour, then reduce the interval to four hours. Treatment in this way is very effective.
4. Make lotions of clay. You need to do them in turn: on the back of the head, then on the eyes and on the forehead. Clay must be applied to a damp cloth and placed on the eyes for three hours. This procedure must be repeated several times a day.
5. Lotions. In order to make contrasting lotions, it is necessary to take a swab of gauze soaked in cold and hot water. Such lotions must be done alternately, a minute with cold, then one minute with hot.
The prognosis for recovery always depends on what caused the development of the disease, what area the inflammatory process has captured, as well as the presence of complications. You can prevent the disease, for this you need to take care of your own eyes, as well as follow all the doctor's recommendations.
