Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea â the clear, dome-shaped tissue on the front of your eye that covers the pupil and iris. Keratitis is sometimes caused by an infection involving bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. Noninfectious keratitis can be caused by a minor injury, wearing your contact lenses too long or other noninfectious diseases.
If you have eye redness or other symptoms of keratitis, make an appointment to see your doctor. With prompt attention, mild to moderate cases of keratitis can usually be effectively treated without loss of vision. If left untreated, or if an infection is severe, keratitis can lead to serious complications that may permanently damage your vision.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Signs and symptoms of keratitis include:
If you notice any of the signs or symptoms of keratitis, make an appointment to see your doctor right away. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of keratitis can lead to serious complications, including vision loss.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Causes of keratitis include:
Contaminated water. Chemicals in water such as those used in swimming pools may irritate the cornea and weaken the delicate surface tissue of the cornea (corneal epithelium), resulting in a chemical keratitis. This is usually short-lived and may last only minutes to hours.
Bacteria, fungi and parasites in water â particularly in oceans, rivers, lakes and hot tubs â can enter your eyes when you're swimming or bathing and result in keratitis. If you're exposed to these microorganisms, a healthy cornea is unlikely to become infected. But if you've experienced some previous breakdown of the corneal epithelium, such as from wearing a contact lens too long, your cornea may be vulnerable to infection.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Your doctor will review your medical history and your symptoms, conduct an eye examination, and perform tests to diagnose keratitis.
Diagnosing keratitis typically involves the following:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Potential complications of keratitis include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
If you wear contact lenses, proper use, cleaning and disinfecting can help prevent keratitis. Follow these tips:
Some forms of viral keratitis, such as keratitis caused by the herpes virus, can't be completely eliminated. But the following steps may control viral keratitis recurrences:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Factors that may increase your risk of keratitis include:
Contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses increases your risk of both infectious and noninfectious keratitis. The risk typically stems from not disinfecting lenses properly, wearing contact lenses while swimming, wearing them longer than recommended, or using water or homemade solutions to store and clean lenses.
Keratitis is more common in people who use extended-wear contacts, or wear contacts continuously, than in those who use daily wear contacts and take them out at night.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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