Erosion of the cornea of ​​the eye: how dangerous is the disease?

The cornea is less protected from external factors than other parts of the eye, and is often damaged. The number of eye injuries, including heavy ones, is quite high.Most often, corneal injuries are caused by ingress of foreign bodies into the eye or by exposure to physical or chemical factors.As a result, a disease occurs, called corneal erosion, which can later become a post-traumatic keratitis. This complication is very dangerous for the organs of vision.How to avoid such a result?

What is marginal keratitis and how to treat it read here.

What is corneal erosion?

Erosion of the cornea is the damage to the epithelium of the cornea of ​​the eye.

The cornea of ​​the eye consists of five layers.The outermost layer is the epithelium. It consists of 5-6 layers of cells, performs a protective function and is very well restored when damaged. The epithelium is located on the basal membrane, which regulates its recovery and structure. Under the basal layer is a thin membrane, called the Bowman shell.

It is a dense tissue serving as a support for the epithelium.Deeper it is the stroma, which is the largest part of the volume of the cornea and consists of special cells - keratocytes. These cells are arranged in a strict order, which ensures the transparency of the cornea.

The stroma behind belongs to the most durable corneal tissue - Descemet's membrane - a dense membrane that performs a protective function.

The last layer - the endothelium - consists of a single row of cells that perform the function of the pump. Endothelium controls the exchange of fluid and nutrients between the cornea and the moisture of the anterior chamber of the eye.

Types and Classifications

Erosions of the cornea can be classified:

Deformation of the cornea as a result of erosion

• to size:small (point) and large (macro-erosion);
• by location:in the upper or lower corneal zone;
• by the coverage of the cornea:on a separate site or diffusely over the entire surface;
• on the course of the disease:a single reaction or persistent relapse.

There are also two types of erosion:

• Traumatic(arise from the impact on the eye of foreign bodies and substances).
• Recurrent erosion(they appear suddenly, against the background of the transferred traumatic erosion or diseases of the eyes and the whole organism).

It is necessary to distinguish the erosion of the cornea from the ulcer of the cornea. In the case of erosion, only the integrity of the epithelium of the cornea is disturbed. With timely and proper treatment, erosion passes without a trace, and with the ulcer the deep layers of the epithelium are also destroyed, so after healing of the ulcer, a scar remains on the cornea.

Causes

Erosion of the cornea can be caused by any external influence. Most often the cause is:

• mechanical trauma;
• getting a foreign body on the cornea;
• trauma of the cornea in violation of the rules of care for contact lenses.

The disease can also develop as a result of exposure to chemicals, for example, household chemicals.

Complete erosion of the cornea

Possible damage to the cornea due to exposure to high temperatures.In this case, as a rule, a person manages to close his eyelids, but the temperature was so high that a burn of the eyelids, and then - damage to the cornea.

Incorrect growth of eyelashes can also cause traumatization of the corneal epithelium during blinking, which leads to the formation of erosion.

An important factor in the appearance of erosion is the dystrophic process of the cornea, which disrupts the metabolic processes in it and leads to the death of cells of its various layers.As a result, the epithelial cells begin to damage. At the same time, pronounced corneal edema can form large bubbles filled with fluid. The ruptures of these blisters also lead to the appearance of a vast zone of erosion of the cornea of ​​the eye.

Erosion of the cornea, as a secondary disease, occurs when:

• dry eye syndrome;
• allergic conjunctivitis;
• keratoconjunctivitis;
• staphylococcal blepharitis.

How to treat conjunctivitis during pregnancy will tell this article.

Symptoms

Erosion of the cornea of ​​the eye has a vivid symptomatology:

• discomfort;
• pain;
• feeling of sand in the eye;
• itching;
• edema;
• impossibility to open eyelids;
• lacrimation;
• redness;
• photophobia;
• blurred vision(if the lesion is located close to the pupil).

What is vision, or unit, find out here.

Diagnostics

A corresponding diagnosis can be made only after a preliminary examination by a doctor. ABOUTThe investigation is carried out using a special lamp and contains a complex analysis of the state of the surface of the cornea.

If the erosion of the cornea is negligible, it is difficult to detect, since it is in a latent state. In this regard, the cornea is stained with a medical dye, for example, a solution of fluorescein, which makes it possible to detect even the smallest lesions on the cornea.

The examination also includes checking the eyelashes of the lower and upper eyelids. The doctor turns out the eyelids, since corneal damage sometimes causes even small particles that are on their surface.

Treatment

Treatment of corneal erosion is based on two principles:

• restoration of epithelium;
• humidification of its surface.

Medicinal products

In the course of treatment, doctors usually prescribe the following drugs:

• Keratoprotectors: ointments (at night) and drops (during the day).
• Antibacterial drugs in the form of gels and drops (so as not to be joined by another infection).
• Antihistamines and hormones.
• Medications to improve metabolic processes.
• Preparations based on natural tears for the prevention of relapse.

The treatment process takes five to fifteen days, depending on the extent of the lesion.

How to provide first aid?

Since the main cause of the appearance of erosion is the ingress of foreign bodies into the eye, it is necessary to know how to provide first aid.If there is no possibility of urgent medical help, the patient needs:

1. Rinse the eye with plenty of saline, saline or pure water.For washing, you can make a bath or use a glass.
2. Blink your eyes several times to remove the remains of a foreign body.

At the same time, one can not categorically:

• Rub the eye with your hand.
• Trying to remove a large foreign body by itself, preventing the eye from closing.
• To touch the eyeball with any objects(tweezers, cotton swabs, corner of the handkerchief).
• Independently conduct treatment.

Preparations for the eyes should be prescribed only by the attending physician. Even saline drops have their contraindications: for some eye diseases this drug can not be used.

If the epithelium does not heal, the patient will need the help of an eye surgeon.Keratoplasty involves removing the epithelium of the cornea with an excimer laser and affecting the Bowman shell.

Complications

In case of any eye damage, immediately consult a doctor. Uncorrected in time, the erosion of the cornea can lead to serious vision problems.

Erosion is often accompanied by a complication, such as neovascularization of the cornea. It can occur due to infection of the eyes, which often accompanies erosion, as well as due to improper or uncontrolled use of contact lenses.

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If you do not start treatment on time, destructive processes are almost impossible to stop.

Neovascularization of the cornea is accompanied by a pathological proliferation of its vessels. A person's vision deteriorates, visual disturbances appear.In the initial stages, the complication can be stopped if the keroplastic therapy that is effective to prevent corneal opacity is effectively performed.The severity of damage to the eyeball is not immediately apparent. To predict in the first days, what will be the outcome, is almost impossible. Sometimes a corneal transplant is required.

In case of such complication, the most effective method of treating corneal erosion is keratoplasty.The opacity of the cornea, caused by erosion, contributes to poor eyesight.Such a pathology is divided in size and intensity into spots, whitecaps and clouds. Clouds are gray opacities that have limitations. They are hardly visible when viewed.

The appearance of a corneal opacity in case of untimely treatment in case of erosion can cause loss of vision. In such cases, you need to act immediately.And the only way out is keratoplasty - corneal transplantation. This surgery involves replacing the damaged area of ​​the cornea with a donor. This method of treatment helps to repair damage and improve vision.If the corneal opacity is caused by an infection or a chemical burn, the transplant will help stop the loss of vision.

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Keratoplasty before and after

Prevention

Erosion of the cornea can be avoided by constantly taking care of eye safety. Prevention is the best way to prevent any ailment.If a person wants to preserve his vision, he must avoid any eye trauma when working with chemicals and strictly observe the safety measures.

For the prevention of secondary inflammation, antibiotic preparations are locally used: levomycetin, 5% and sulfacil sodium 10-20%.

After the restoration of the epithelium of the cornea, drops based on natural tears are prescribed for a long time to prevent the occurrence of recurrent erosion of the cornea.

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Atrophy of the optic nerve can lead to blindness. So find out the symptoms and treat the disease in a timely manner.

How to express myopia of a weak degree is indicated in this article.

The causes of strabismus in children: http://eyesdocs.ru/zabolevaniya/kosoglazie/detej-pochemu-voznikaet-i-kakim-obrazom-lechitsya.html

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conclusions

So,erosion of the cornea of ​​the eye - a disease that is well treatable, if you start it on time.Running cases are fraught with such complications as keratitis. And this already leads to loss of vision, and here a surgical operation with replacement of the damaged corneal area will be required. To avoid such consequences, take precautions, protect your eyes from injuries, and in case of damage to the cornea, immediately seek medical help from specialists.

Also, do not lose sight of diseases such as lazy eye syndrome and retinal detachment.