What Is The Cornea?
The Cornea is the clear outer layer at the front of the eye. The Cornea helps your eye to focus light so you can see clearly. Along with the sclera (the white of your eye), it serves as a barrier against dirt, germs, and other things that can cause damage.
What Are The Main Types Of Corneal Conditions?
There are several common conditions that affect the Cornea.
Injuries: Small abrasions (scratches) on the Cornea usually heal on their own. Deeper scratches or other injuries can cause Corneal scarring and vision problems.
Allergies: Allergies to pollen can irritate the eyes and cause allergic conjunctivitis (pink eye). This can make your eyes red, itchy, and watery.
Keratitis: Keratitis is inflammation (redness and swelling) of the Cornea. Infections related to contact lenses are the most common cause of keratitis.
Dry Eye: Dry eye happens when your eyes don’t make enough tears to stay wet. This can be uncomfortable and may cause vision problems.
Corneal Dystrophies: Corneal dystrophies cause cloudy vision when material builds up on the Cornea. These diseases usually run in families.
Keratoconus: Keratoconus is a condition in which the Cornea (the clear covering of the colored iris and black pupil) becomes protruded and irregular, affecting vision.
Corneal Scar: Corneal scars are opacities that affect the clarity of the Cornea and consequently, the vision. Scars can result from Corneal infection, trauma, or other reasons.
Pterygium: Pterygium is a raised, wedge-shaped growth of the conjunctiva that extends onto the Cornea - the outer layer of the eye. These growths also can occur on either side of the eye.
Corneal Infections
There are also a number of less common diseases that can affect the Cornea — including Ocular Herpes, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and IridoCorneal Endothelial Syndrome.
Symptoms of Corneal Disease
- Severe eye pain
- Blurry or distorted vision
- Very red, watery eyes
- Extreme Sensitivity to light
- A feeling of an object stuck in the eye
- A serious eye injury or trauma — like getting hit hard in the eye
Am I At Risk For Corneal Conditions?
Some Corneal conditions, like Corneal dystrophies, run in families. But there are steps you can take to lower your risk of Corneal injuries and infections.
To prevent Corneal injuries, wear protective eyewear when you:
- Play sports that use a ball or puck, like cricket, baseball or hockey
- Make repairs, like painting or hammering
- Use machines, like drills
- Use chemicals, like bleach or pesticides
If you wear contact lenses, always follow the instructions to clean, disinfect, and store your lenses. This can help prevent Corneal infections, like keratitis.
If you Feel like something is stuck in your eye:
Try blinking several times
Try rinsing your eye with clean water
Try pulling your upper eyelid down over your lower eyelid
Don’t rub your eye — you could scratch your Cornea
If an object is stuck in your eye, don’t try to remove it yourself — go to your eye doctor
How Will My Eye Doctor Check For Corneal Conditions?
Eye doctors can check for Corneal conditions as part of a comprehensive eye examination which is simple and painless. To check for Corneal abrasions (scratches), your eye doctor may use a special type of eye drops called fluorescein dye. The dye makes Corneal abrasions easier to see.
What Is The Treatment For Corneal Conditions?
Many Corneal conditions can be treated with prescription eye drops or pills. If you have advanced Corneal disease, you may need a different treatment.
Laser treatment. To treat some Corneal dystrophies and other conditions, doctors can use a type of laser treatment called phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) to reshape the Cornea, remove scar tissue, and make vision clearer.
Cross Linking. Cross-linking is a surgery to treat a weakened or distorted Cornea such as in the case of Keratoconus. Disease or sometimes surgery can harm collagen, an important substance that holds the Cornea together. “Cross-linking” new collagen fibers together strengthens and reinforces the Cornea.
Corneal transplant surgery. If the damage to your Cornea can’t be repaired, doctors can remove the damaged part and replace it with healthy Corneal tissue from a donor.
Artificial Cornea. As an alternative to Corneal transplant, doctors can replace a damaged Cornea with an artificial Cornea, called a keratoprosthesis (KPro).
Read more about Dry Eye Syndrome
Read more about Keratoconus here