Are you struggling with excessive tearing, blurred vision, light sensitivity, redness, and eye pain? These are some of the cornea infection symptoms, keratitis being the most common. The cornea, the outermost clear dome-shaped layer, bends light into the eyes, facilitating focus. It also protects your eyes from concerns such as germs, dirt, and suns UV. If left untreated, Huntingdon Valley cornea infections can impact your vision and overall eye health, including leading to blindness. Other complications include chronic scarring and inflammation, temporary/permanent limited vision, recurrent infections, and open sores referred to as corneal ulcers.
Cornea infection can be overwhelming, especially since the complications can make it harder to go about your routine. The good news is that you can take measures to limit the chances of developing the infection. Here are the common cornea infection risk factors to help improve your eye care regimen.
1. Contact lenses
Contact lenses are a go-to for many striving to correct certain vision problems. Nonetheless, the lenses can also cause certain problems, injuries included, which can lead to cornea infections. This is more so if you sleep with the lenses, wear them beyond the recommended period, leave them on when swimming, or if the hygiene levels aren’t well-maintained such as improper disinfection.
Wearing contact lenses for an extended period also increases injury and infection chances, unlike removing them daily. The lenses can scratch the cornea surface, leading to non-infectious keratitis. The injury can also create an environment for microorganisms to grow and access the cornea, leading to infectious keratitis. Following your doctor’s directions on contact lens use doesn’t just improve their effectiveness; it can help lower cornea infection risk.
2. Injury
Injuries cause more than pain and uncomfortable experiences. When nursing an eye injury, it could indicate a cornea infection if you notice symptoms like excessive tearing, redness, pain, and blurred vision. Injuries make the eye vulnerable to infections since microorganisms can easily accumulate and spread.
3. Your immunity
The immune system helps ward off infections and fight them when they hit. When your immunity is reduced, you are vulnerable to infections, keratitis included. The immunity could be affected by health conditions or medications. If you are dealing with eye problems when battling other infections or on active prescription, visiting the doctor is recommendable. They can help you implement a strategy to lower the chances of an infection. You can also boost your immunity through measures like proper nutrition, stress management, and physical activity.
4. Exposure to germs
Exposing your eyes to fungi and bacteria increases the risk of developing keratitis. The exposure is mainly due to water parasites, such as in hot tubs, rivers, lakes, or oceans. This doesn’t mean you should give up on swimming and other water activities. A healthy cornea is not likely to be infected due to such exposure. Nonetheless, if you are nursing an eye injury from trauma caused by contact lenses, it is advisable to avoid such exposure.
Keratitis can be caused by the herpes virus, streptococcus, pseudomonas, and staphylococcus bacteria. As you strive to keep your vision in top shape, you need to think beyond today’s common challenges associated with increased screen time. If you notice any concerning cornea infection symptoms, immediate professional attention is recommended to avoid the potential complication that could accelerate to the extent of blindness. Visit Suburban Eye Associates today for diagnoses, treatment, and pointers to help avoid cornea infection.
