There are no clear ways to prevent the spread of herpes keratitis, but there are some steps you can take to keep your eyes safe. If you are cautious, you can avoid transferring the virus to other areas of your body. It does take vigilance during outbreaks. In the first year after contracting eye herpes, 20 percent of people will experience a recurrence of symptoms.
If outbreaks become frequent, they can be managed with regular, often daily, medication. Otherwise, your doctor will prescribe medication that you will take only as needed, during your less frequent outbreaks. For some people, the outbreaks are more frequent and more severe initially. Then, they stabilize over time and become less frequent. While you may never need medication to treat eye herpes, it is important to get an appropriate diagnosis if you experience the symptoms listed above.
Having more than one outbreak puts you at risk for scarring inside your cornea and other parts of your eye, which can lead to serious vision loss over time. Although the term eye herpes can seem frightening, it is a normal and manageable condition with an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. April What Is Herpes Keratitis? Herpes Simplex Keratitis. Merck Manual: Consumer Version. Eye Herpes Ocular Herpes. November All About Vision. Molecule halts herpes of the eye.
February 27, Almost everyone — about 90 percent of the population — is exposed to Type I herpes, usually during childhood. After the original infection, the virus lies in a dormant state, living in nerve cells of the skin or eye. Reactivation can be triggered in a number of ways, including:. Once herpes simplex is present in the eye, it typically infects the eyelids, conjunctiva and cornea. It may also infect the inside of the eye; however, this is much less common.
However, it if involves the deeper layers of cornea which can happen after time , the infection may lead to scarring of the cornea, loss of vision and sometimes even blindness. Treatment of herpes keratitis depends on its severity. Mild infection is typically treated with topical and sometimes oral antiviral medication.
Your ophthalmologist may gently scrape the affected area of the cornea to remove the diseased cells. In case of severe scarring and vision loss, a corneal transplant may be required. Follow these tips to keep your eyes healthy while wearing contact lenses.
Your daily habits, your contact lenses and supplies, and your eye doctor are all important. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Healthy Contact Lens Wear and Care. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. What are the symptoms of HSV keratitis? Symptoms of HSV keratitis include 2 : Eye pain Eye redness Blurred vision Sensitivity to light Watery discharge If you experience any of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses if you wear them and call your eye doctor right away.
Where is HSV found? What puts people at risk for HSV keratitis? How is HSV keratitis diagnosed? How is HSV keratitis treated? While there's no cure for eye herpes, certain treatments can prevent vision loss and help control future outbreaks.
Early diagnosis and treatment — ideally within a 72 hour window — can help mitigate severe eye damage and significantly improve your symptoms. Treatment typically includes antiviral medication, which can be eye drops, ointment, or oral medication. Your eye doctor will instruct you on how to manage your symptoms and prevent reinfection. Billy J. Most bouts of eye herpes last about weeks, but can sometimes last longer. Treatment is usually for 2 weeks and you should see improvement within 5 days of treatment.
Contact your doctor at the first sign of an outbreak to start treatment as soon as possible and minimize the risk of eye damage. While several factors contribute to recurrence, if you experience multiple flare-ups, your doctor may recommend taking a daily antiviral medication for prevention. Read More. Read more.
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