The cornea is the front, clear layer of your eye. A healthy
cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust and other
harmful matter. It also plays an important role in focusing images within
the eye as it controls the entry of light into the eye. Corneal problems
can happen to anyone at any age. If disease, injury, or infection damages
the cornea, it can become cloudy or warped. A damaged cornea distorts
light as it travels into the eye, affecting your vision. It may even
cause you pain.
Some disorders and diseases are as follows:
Allergies: Allergies affecting
the eye are fairly common. The most common allergies are
those related to pollen. Eye allergy cases may also be related
to medications, makeup, creams or wearing contact lenses. Symptoms can
include redness, itching, tearing, burning, stinging, and watery discharge.
Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): This term describes a group of diseases that
cause swelling, itching, burning, and redness of the conjunctiva,
the protective membrane that lines the eyelids and covers
exposed areas of the sclera, or white of the eye. Conjunctivitis can
be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, allergy, environmental irritants,
a contact lens product, eyedrops, or eye ointments.
Corneal
Infections: The cornea can be damaged after a foreign object
has penetrated the tissue, such as from a poke in the eye.
At other times, bacteria or fungi from a contaminated contact lens can
pass into the cornea. Situations like these can cause painful inflammation
and corneal infections called keratitis. These infections can reduce
visual clarity, produce corneal discharges, and perhaps erode
the cornea. Corneal infections can also lead to corneal scarring, which
can impair vision and may require a corneal transplant.
Corneal Dystrophies:
A corneal dystrophy is a condition in which one or more
parts of the cornea lose their normal clarity due to a buildup of cloudy
material. There are many corneal dystrophies that affect all
parts of the cornea. These diseases share many traits:
They are usually inherited
They affect the right and left eyes equally.
They are not caused by outside factors, such as injury or diet.
Most progress gradually.
Most usually begin in one of the five corneal layers and may later spread
to nearby parts.
Most do not affect other parts of the body, nor are
they related to diseases affecting other parts of the eye or body.
Most
can occur in otherwise totally healthy people, male or female.
*Information
received from the National Eye Institute
More information about Corneal
Surgery at Northwest Eye
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