Common diseases of the cornea

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Bich Nhi - Ophthalmologist - General Surgery Department - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. The doctor has 10 years of experience in the field of ophthalmology.

Diseases of the cornea are usually not too difficult to treat. However, if not treated properly, it can lead to many very dangerous complications. In particular, diseases of the cornea can also lead to blindness or even death for the patient.
Cornea (English: Cornea) is the transparent anterior part of the eye that includes the nail, the pupil, and the anterior chamber. The cornea, anterior chamber and lens, refracted light, the cornea accounts for 2/3 of the optical energy of the eye. Without careful care and protection, the cornea can experience the following diseases:

1.1 Definition Ocular keratitis includes corneal ulceration (superficial inflammation) and parenchymal keratitis (deep keratitis) which are lesions of the cornea caused by many causes such as: trauma causing tears, scratches. cornea, foreign bodies impact (hairy, hairy, calcified ...), opening the way for microorganisms to penetrate into the corneal organization, causing tissue necrosis damage, leading to keratitis of the eye.
1.2 Causes The main causes of keratitis are bacteria (such as staphylococcus, bacilli, gonorrhea) and viruses (such as the adenovirus that initially causes acute conjunctivitis, if not after 7-10 days). cured, it is easy to damage the cornea; herpes virus). Fungal keratitis is rare, but it is also a disease that is difficult to treat and can easily cause dangerous complications. In addition, keratitis may be caused by open eyelids, scarring, nerve paralysis, allergic immunity, metabolic disorders, corneal ulcers due to malnutrition, dry eyes, and decreased tear secretion..
1.3 Symptoms Symptoms of keratitis eye disease include:
Dull pain, intense pain when there is stimulation such as light, eye movement. Patients always close their eyes because they are afraid of light. Tears: When the patient opens his eyes, he sees tears in his eyes. Loss of visual acuity much more than before eye pain is a symptom to differentiate from conjunctivitis. The disease can lead to: scarring that reduces vision; deep ulceration necrosis to the end of the parenchyma, endophthalmitis... 1.4 Treatment Due to such severe consequences, early detection and treatment of keratitis is very important to limit permanent damage. and reduced vision. Therefore, you must see an eye specialist to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
Ocular keratitis is a very dangerous disease because it will leave permanent sequelae such as corneal scarring, atrophy, protrusion and partial or total loss of vision. Because of such severe consequences, early detection and treatment of keratitis is important to limit permanent damage and vision loss. Therefore, you must see an eye specialist to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

2.1 Causes Corneal scratches have many causes, of which the most common cause is accidentally pricking the eye or rubbing the eye repeatedly when encountering a foreign object (sand, dust...). Corneal scratches make the eyes very sensitive to light and cause discomfort.
If you suspect a corneal abrasion, you should quickly visit a doctor or emergency care centers to find a timely treatment. Corneal abrasions can also make your eyes more susceptible to bacterial or fungal infections. Certain types of bacteria and fungi can enter through a corneal abrasion, causing serious damage very quickly, within 24 hours, and can even lead to blindness. This is more likely to happen if the cause of the corneal abrasion is a dirty object. For corneal scratches originating from children's fingernails, tree branches ... sometimes it is the cause of eye infections.
2.2 Treatment If you have scratched your cornea , do not rub your eyes and also do not cover the injured eye. Lightly close your eyes or cover with a thin layer of gauze. Get medical attention as soon as possible to have your injured eye checked.
As for blunt trauma causing damage to the eye and parts around the eye such as: hematoma, bruised eyelid, eye socket; bleeding in the eye: conjunctival hemorrhage, anterior chamber hemorrhage, crystal body, retina...; damage to the eye's organs such as: vitreous body, retina, optic nerve...; need to be treated properly by using an eye mask and then going to the nearest ophthalmology facility for examination and treatment. If it is a penetrating injury that causes corneal tears and bleeding, which requires immediate hemostasis, commonly used antibiotic eye drops such as chloramphenicol can be used. Apply antibiotic pomade and bandage the eye, then immediately go to an ophthalmologist for stitches and treatment for corneal tears or scratches.

3.1 Definition Corneal tear is one of the serious injuries of the eye. Therefore, the treatment of corneal sutures and subsequent treatment requires a very active, close and thorough. If the corneal tear is not managed well, it will lead to bad consequences for the patient, namely, it can lead to complete loss of vision. The recovery of the eye can depend on the location of the corneal tear, the extent of it, the cause of the tear, etc. All of the above factors make the identification of a corneal tear difficult.
3.2 Causes and Treatment If the patient's eyes are still red even though the corneal tear has healed, it is possible that the cause of the injury is still keratitis. In addition, because tearing of the cornea is often accompanied by many other intraocular lesions, it causes red eyes. Usually a corneal tear after stitches heals in about a month. However, the cornea can then stabilize and heal, but it is also possible that keratitis recurs or progresses to corneal dystrophy, causing severe vision loss. Therefore, patients need to continue to monitor treatment to promptly handle possible complications.
3.3 Prevention In daily life, patients need to avoid two very important things: being in contact with eyes or dirty, dusty water in their eyes. Because the patient's eye, when the cornea has been torn, is now very susceptible to infection. The best way to avoid these two things is for the patient to wear safety glasses continuously for a long time.

With a team of leading experts and modern equipment, Vinmec International General Hospital is currently implementing corneal transplantation in complex corneal diseases.
Every year across the country, there are tens of thousands of cases waiting for corneal transplant. Among them, many people have chosen to go abroad for treatment. The fact that Vinmec General Hospital has mastered the corneal transplant technique has brought more opportunities to find light for many people with eye diseases.