Cornea
Cornea is the clear front surface of the eye. It lies right in front of the iris and pupil, and it allows light to enter the eye.
CORNEAL ULCER
A corneal ulcer is an open sore on your cornea. Infection is the leading cause. Symptoms include a red, watery and bloodshot eye; severe eye pain and pus or other eye discharge. A corneal ulcer can lead to vision loss and blindness.
A Corneal ulcer appears as white hazy spot on the eye
Who gets a corneal ulcer?
You’re at risk of a corneal ulcer if you:
- Wear contact lenses, especially if you sleep in your contacts.
- Have or have had shingles, cold sores or chickenpox.
- Have dry eyes.
- Have eyelids that don’t close all the way.
- Use steroid eye drops.
- Have an injury or burn on your cornea.
- Have diabetes.
- Have had prior eye surgery.
- Have other eye diseases.
Who gets a corneal ulcer?
Corneal ulcers are treated with anti-infective medications or surgery if medications aren’t an option.
Medication choice is based on what’s causing the infection. Eye drops containing antibiotics (for bacterial infections), antifungals (for fungal infections) and antivirals (for viral infections) are the usual treatments.
Oral medications are also prescribed for some cases.
Trauma
A corneal laceration is a cut on the cornea. It is usually caused by something sharp flying into the eye. It can also be caused by something striking the eye with significant force, like a metallic hand tool. A corneal laceration is deeper than a corneal abrasion, cutting partially or fully through the cornea
Treatment
Surgery is usually done to close the cut into the eye and to help prevent infection. Surgery helps:
- prevent further damage to the eye
- remove any foreign object remaining in the eye after the injury
Severe lacerations may need several surgeries for repair and can result in permanent vision loss