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Infecions
of the Eye Lid:
Styes:
An
inflammation of a gland at the base of an eyelash. Painful but disappears
after a few days with out treatment. The use of warm compression
and the use of anti-infective drops and ointment may be prescribed
to prevent the infection.
Blepharitis:
he
generalized inflammation of the eyelid margins, with redness, itching
and discharge. It tends to be persistent and mat cause the eyelashes
to fall out or to turn inward so they irritate the cornea. Blepharitis
is probably the single most common cause of all eye discomfort.
Blepharitis is of two types, seborrheic blepharitis and ulcerative
blepharitis. An anti-infective is required to eliminate the eye
infection and, if necessary, a topical steroid.
Microbial
Keratitis/ Corneal Ulcer:
Inflammation
of the cornea due to microorganisms. The term keratitis and corneal
ulcer are often used interchangeably. It is usually regarded as
more serious than conjunctivitis because scarring of the cornea
and cause blurring of vision.
Pre
disposing factors:
1. Contact lens wear
2. Ocular surface disease (dry eye)
3. Corneal-anaesthesia
4. Bullous keratopathy
5. Trauma.
Corneal
infection can spread through the deeper layers of the cornea. A
superficial keratitis can cause loss of sight if it occurs in the
field of vision, and a deeper keratitis can result in blindness
or loss of the eye within 24 hours of infection if an aggressive
microorganism is involved.
Patient
with corneal ulcer suffer pain, blurry vision, inability to see
bright light, redness, discharge and foreign body sensation in the
eye.
Treatment
for keratitis/ corneal ulcer is usually quite aggressive. Dosing
of the prescribed antibiotic is frequent, sometimes every hour or
more, especially for the first couple of the days. Serious patients
require hospitalization, and they are always followed very closely.
Treatment
can last for as long as several weeks. Treatments used by the ophthalmologists
are as per the severity of the infection. Latest advancement for
treating microbial keratitis/ corneal ulcer are fluoroquinolones.
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