Recurrence rates of herpes simplex virus keratitis in contact lens and non-contact lens wearers external icon. Eye Contact Lens. J Infect Dis. Mayo Clinic. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this topic, enter your email address: Email Address. What's this? Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
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The most common type of eye herpes is called epithelial keratitis. It affects the cornea, which is the clear front portion of your eye. HSV of the deeper middle layers of the cornea — known as the stroma — can cause severe damage, leading to vision loss and blindness.
In fact, eye herpes is the most common cause of blindness associated with cornea damage in the United States and the most common source of contagious blindness in the Western world. And with prompt treatment , HSV can be kept under control and damage to the cornea minimized. You may mistake eye herpes for conjunctivitis , which is known more commonly as pink eye. Both conditions may be caused by a virus, though conjunctivitis can also be caused by:. A doctor can make the correct diagnosis using a culture sample.
Receiving a correct diagnosis can help you to receive proper treatment. The most common type of eye herpes is epithelial keratitis. In this type, the virus is active in the thin outermost layer of the cornea, known as the epithelium. As mentioned, HSV can also affect deeper layers of the cornea, known as the stroma. This type of eye herpes is known as stromal keratitis. Stromal keratitis is more serious than epithelial keratitis because over time and repeated outbreaks, it can damage your cornea enough to cause blindness.
Eye herpes is caused by an HSV transmission to the eyes and eyelids. Rather, it most commonly happens after another body part — typically your mouth, in the form of cold sores — has already been affected by HSV in the past. The virus can lie dormant for a while, then reactivate from time to time. So, eye herpes can be the result of a flare-up reactivation of an earlier infection. However, if you develop herpes keratitis, there are some things you can do to help prevent recurring outbreaks:.
About Foundation Museum of the Eye. What is Herpes Keratitis? By Daniel Porter. There are two major types of the virus: Type I is the most common and primarily infects the face, causing the familiar "cold sore" or "fever blister. What causes herpes keratitis? Reactivation can be triggered in a number of ways, including: stress sun exposure or other UV light exposure such as tanning beds fever trauma to the body such as injury or surgery menstruation certain medications Once herpes simplex is present in the eye, it typically infects the eyelids, conjunctiva and cornea.
Left untreated, herpes keratitis can severely damage your eye. Herpes keratitis treatment Treatment of herpes keratitis depends on its severity.
However, if you develop herpes keratitis, there are some things you can do to help prevent recurring outbreaks: If you have an active cold sore or blister, avoid touching your eyes. Symptoms of a reactivation include tearing, redness, a feeling like a foreign object is in the eye foreign body sensation , and sensitivity to bright light. Rarely, the infection worsens and the cornea swells, making vision hazy.
The more often the infection recurs, the more likely is further damage to the surface of the cornea. Several recurrences may result in the formation of deep ulcers, permanent scarring, blood vessels that grow onto the cornea, and numbness of the eye surface. With multiple recurrences, the herpes simplex virus can lead to significant visual impairment, which can be permanent.
To diagnose a herpes simplex infection, a doctor examines the eye with a slit lamp What Is a Slit Lamp? A person who has eye symptoms should be checked by a doctor. However, some eye disorders cause few or no symptoms in their early stages, so the eyes should be checked regularly every 1 to During the examination, the doctor may put drops in the eyes that contain a yellow-green dye called fluorescein.
The fluorescein dye temporarily stains the damage in the cornea a bright green, making it possible for the doctor to see a damaged area that is not otherwise visible. The doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug, such as trifluridine eye drop or ganciclovir eye gel.
Acyclovir , another antiviral drug, can be taken by mouth or by vein intravenously. The antiviral drug valacyclovir can also be taken by mouth.
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