Corneal Ulcers – Everything You Need To Know But Afraid To Ask

A Corneal Ulcer will often show up as a painful red eye with severe eye discharged and a reduction in visibility. This condition develops from an infection of the cornea very similar to an abscess.

Corneal Ulcers are mostly due to bacterial infections invading the cornea. They often followed an eye injury or trauma.

Those people wearing eye lenses on a daily basis are always more prone to suffer from this condition.

Besides the bacterial infection responsible for Corneal Ulcers some other players behind them are fungi and parasites:

– Fusarium: These particular fungi have often been associated with Fungal Keratitis, which mostly affects those wearing contact lenses.

– Acanthamoeba: This is one of the most dangerous infections of them all, they are caused by parasites that enter the cornea and cause this infection known as Acanthamoeba Keratitis. This condition can leave permanent scarring of the cornea as well as vision loss. These parasites can be often found in tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs, or any other sources of water.

Another common cause of Corneal Ulcers is Ocular Herpes which can lead to exterior damage and deeper layers of the eye as well. Other causes are dry eyes, eyes allergies, and any other general infection. Disorders of the Immune System, as well as inflammatory diseases, can also lead to corneal ulcers, especially multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis.

If you suspect to have a corneal ulcer the most important thing you need to do immediately visit your doctor, if left untreated or not treated on time, a corneal ulcer can lead to permanent vision loss as well as the complete loss of the eye.

If the Doctor determines that the corneal ulcer comes from a bacterial infection the course of treatment will be the frequent application topical antibiotics.

Regarding cultures, depending on the location and the size of the ulceration, the doctor will determine whether or not to use them. Depending on the severity of the ulceration your doctor may need to see you every, one or three days.

Normally the condition will take longer to cure if the ulceration is located in the central cornea and will often leave scars which permanently reduces our vision. Sadly, even if the condition is caught on time it will leave permanent damage and vision loss.

However, if you go to the doctor suffering from experiencing trauma, he or she could deem the ulceration coming from a fungal keratitis, more so if your eye came in contact with organic matter during the trauma.

The fungal keratitis is only diagnosable through a microscopic evaluation, and then would administer anti-fungal agents which are normally applied both as a topic and as a pill, but this would only depend on the severity of the ulceration.