Is fungal keratitis dangerous?

This article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Hoang Thanh Nga - Ophthalmologist - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

Fungal keratitis is a dangerous and rapidly progressive corneal infection. If not detected early and treated promptly, the risk of permanent vision impairment, even blindness.

Fungal keratitis is an infection of the cornea (the transparent round dome that covers the outside of the iris and pupil). Keratitis causes pain, decreased vision, sensitivity to light, and increased tear or discharge from the eye. It is caused by a fungal infection from contact lenses or an injury to the eye. There are many different types of fungi that can cause corneal ulcers, such as fusarium, aspergillus, or candida.
Fungal keratitis usually develops very quickly and, if left untreated, can lead to vision loss.

Symptoms of fungal keratitis usually include:
Decreased vision ; Sharp pain in the eye (suddenly); Increased sensitivity to light; Frequent tears; Increased discharge from the eyes. See your eye doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of these signs, especially if they come on suddenly. Without proper care, keratitis can lead to blindness. Treatment of fungal keratitis must be initiated immediately to prevent progressive vision loss.

In clinical practice, a large part of patients with fungal keratitis in agriculture, contracted the disease after an eye injury (from dust, tree branches, rice leaves, rice grains, iron filings... ). The time from disease onset to hospital arrival is often long after treatment at lower levels fails to heal.
Polluted environment, a lot of dust is also the cause of corneal ulcers (sand, insects fly into the eyes, causing damage). Workers and workers in the process of working have not paid attention to the use of labor protection equipment (especially for occupations with high risk of infection, such as sanitation workers, bridge and road construction workers, masons, carpenters). , farmers, swidden pioneers, exploiting forest trees, etc.).
In particular, an alarming situation today is the abuse of eye preparations containing corticosteroids. Although the corticosteroids in eye drops have a pleasant effect on the eyes, the redness disappears quickly, but if abused, it will cause many consequences, including fungal keratitis, because corticosteroids create a favorable environment for bacteria. bacteria and fungi grow. Therefore, long-term use of eye drops containing corticosteroids can lead to corneal ulcers, increased eye pressure (glaucoma), atrophy of the optic nerve, a high risk of permanent vision loss.

Prognosis of fungal keratitis is often poor, partly because it is difficult to diagnose based on clinical manifestations alone without conditions to diagnose by subclinical. Meanwhile, early diagnosis plays an important role in treatment. If treated early, patients use antifungal drugs from the first days of disease onset, increasing the effectiveness of the drug for its antifungal action, and reducing the time and cost of treatment.
There are many subclinical diagnostic methods for fungal keratitis, such as fresh endoscopy, direct endoscopy, identification culture, ELISA test, PCR technique. Each method will have different specificity and sensitivity for the fungus causing keratitis.

To prevent fungal keratitis, it is necessary to have a more cautious attitude in living and working, to avoid being subjective to eye injuries. Equip additional eye protection when working and when going out.
If you are unlucky enough to get dust, grit, or rice grains in your eyes, absolutely do not rub or rub your eyes because it can easily lead to scratches and tearing of the cornea. The correct treatment is to wash the eyes with clean water to let the dust out on its own in case it can be controlled, such as dust particles flying into the eyes, causing mild irritation. If the situation does not improve or when a larger object is shot into the eye, it is necessary to visit an eye specialist for examination and appropriate treatment plan.
People who regularly use contact lenses need to strictly follow the glass cleaning process and periodically do it. When there are symptoms of eye disease in general such as itching, burning, pain, redness of the eyes, do not arbitrarily buy eye drops. Treatment of eye diseases, including fungal keratitis, should only be done after a correct diagnosis in medical facilities that specialize in ophthalmology.
Eye Unit of the Department of Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat and Maxillofacial Department, Vinmec International General Hospital has the function of comprehensive eye and vision health care for children, adults and the elderly including children, adults and the elderly. check for refractive errors, physical examination, diagnostic ultrasound, laser treatment and surgery. In addition, the Eye Unit also has the task of coordinating with other clinical departments in the treatment of pathological complications and eye injuries, including fungal keratitis.