The Different Forms of Ocular Herpes

Ocular herpes or ocular herpes is a common and persistent viral infection that affects the eyes primarily caused but a herpes simplex virus type 1. The virus is also sometimes termed as a cold sore of the eyes which can cause scarring and inflammation of the eye’s cornea. Persons who come in close contact with other individuals with active virus can easily acquire this infection.

The damage and effects of ocular herpes can range from simple infection to a more serious condition that can probably cause loss of vision or blindness. Ocular herpes can have several forms such as the herpes keratitis, stromal keratitis, and iridocyclitis.

Herpes keratitis is a viral corneal infection and is the most common form or herpes affecting the eyes. This particular form of ocular herpes usually only affects the epithelium or the top layer of the cornea and typically heals without any scarring. The stromal keratitis can occur when the infection goes beyond the top layer of the cornea leading to scarring, vision loss, and sometimes, blindness. It is thought that stromal keratitis can be caused by the delayed immune response of the body to the primary infection. Iridocyclitis is another serious form of ocular herpes which causes the iris and its surrounding tissues to become inflamed resulting to increased sensitivity to light, pain, redness, and blurry vision. The iridocyclitis is kinds of uveitis which commonly affects the frontal areas within the eyes. When an ocular herpes infection occurs in the eye’s retina or within the inside lining of the eye’s back, it is usually known as herpes retinitis.

There are a variety of signs and symptoms that can be associated with an outbreak of ocular herpes. An individual can experience inflammation of the cornea that can cause sudden and severe ocular pain or irritation. Moreover, the cornea can appear cloudy which then leads to blurring of vision. Other typical characteristics of eye herpes can include swelling around the eyes, recurrent eye infections, tearing, eye sores, irritation, sensation of presence of foreign body, red eyes, eye sores, light sensitivity, and watery discharges.

The eye herpes can be transmitted through contact with another individual who is currently having an outbreak or thorough self contamination during active herpes infection. The exact cause of an outbreak of ocular herpes is unknown but the virus responsible for it can remain dormant and may never wake up.

The austin eye doctor can treat different kinds of eye infections including the different forms of ocular herpes. The treatment can depend on where the infection can be located within the eyes. It is very important not to self-medicate when you have ocular herpes since a wrong treatment can further aggravate the outbreak. It would be much advisable to consult with the austin eye doctor for a specialized and effective treatment.


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