Keratitis is a painful, inflammatory eye condition that primarily affects the cornea (the transparent outer layer of the eye which helps the eye to focus), it is a relatively common condition. Symptoms of Keratitis include red eyes, discharge from eye, pain and irritation in the eye, a feeling of something in the eye, difficulty opening the affected eye, photophobia (light sensitivity), profuse tearing, blurriness of vision and decrease in vision. The extremity of these symptoms depend on the cause and severity of the condition. The most common cause of Keratitis is an injury to the eye or infection, other causes of Keratitis include ocular surface disease and compromised immunity. Patients who wear contact lenses are more likely to develop Keratitis than those who do not wear them. Keratitis can be serious if not identified and treated, untreated Keratitis can result in vision loss or blindness. Keratitis is treatable if diagnosed early. Complications of Keratitis include corneal ulcers, permanent corneal scarring and even glaucoma.
Keratitis may be categorised as infectious or non-infectious. Improper use of contact lenses is a common cause of infectious Keratitis, examples of infectious Keratitis include bacterial keratitis (typically caused by the bacteria staphylococcus and pseudomonas aeruginosa), fungal keratitis (caused by the fungi fusarium, candida or aspergillus, it is possible for a patient to be exposed to these fungi when outdoors) , acanthamoeba keratitis (caused by a parasite known as acanthamoeba which a patient may be exposed to when for example when swimming in a lake) and viral keratitis (caused by the herpes simplex virus). Non-infectious Keratitis may be caused by a number of factors such as eye trauma, a weakened immune system, wearing contact lenses for excessively long periods.
If a patient is diagnosed with Keratits, the cause of the condition will be taken into consideration and will determine the treatment the patient requires. Oral medications or/and eye drops may be prescribed to the patient if required. Antibiotics may be prescribed to a patient diagnosed with bacterial keratitis, anti fungal medications may be prescribed for fungal keratitis, anti-viral medications may be prescribed to patients with viral keratitis and biocides may be prescribed to patients with acanthamoeba keratitis. Rarely, keratitis may not respond to these medications or may lead to permanent damage to the cornea, in these cases, a corneal transplant may be recommended to the patient.
In order to diagnose Keratitis, the patients medical history as well as symptoms need to be considered. Keratitis may be diagnosed with the aid of an instrument called a slit lamp which allows the optometrist with magnification and a bright light source to identify the extremity and type of keratitis. Visual acuity must also be considered by the optometrist to determine the extent of vision changes occurring in the patient, the optometrist will also examine the patient's eyes using a penlight to observe the patient's pupillary response/light reflexes.
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