Cornea

Hospital eye clinics help patients whose vision cannot be improved with glasses but can be improved with contact lenses. They prescribe and fit contact lenses for a range of medical eye conditions such as keratoconus which is when the cornea bulges out of shape.

These specialist clinics don’t deal with lenses for people whose vision can be corrected by glasses. If you wear glasses but would like to try contact lenses, please contact your opticians.

There is more information about contact lenses on the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) website.

Corneal dystrophies are eye disorders caused by a build-up of material in the cornea. These disorders often run in families and usually get worse over time. Some people with a corneal dystrophy have no symptoms but others may have significant vision problems. There is more information about corneal dystrophies on the RNIB website.

Corneal ulcers, also known as keratitis, are open sores on the cornea usually caused by an infection.

There are different types of corneal ulcers, but they can have similar symptoms including:

• eye discharge
• blurred vision
• swollen eyelids
• redness
• a feeling that there is something in the eye

If you have one or more of these symptoms please contact your optician to get your eyes checked as soon as possible. Corneal ulcers are often serious and need immediate attention to reduce the risk of permanent sight loss, or even the need to have a corneal transplant. 

Acanthamoeba keratitis 

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a type of keratitis caused by a microscopic organism called acanthamoeba. There is more information about acanthamoeba keratitis on the Moorfields Eye Hospital website.

In this video, Sairia explains how she was diagnosed with acanthamoeba keratitis and the treatment she received: 

Dry eye syndrome is caused by a problem with your tears. It can make your eye feel uncomfortable, red, scratchy and irritated. Dry eye can also make your eyes water and even make your eyesight blurry for short periods. The blurriness will go away on its own or get better when you blink. Dry eye doesn’t usually cause a permanent change in vision. There is more information about dry eye syndrome on the RNIB website and the NHS website.

You can only get herpes zoster, usually called shingles, if you have had chickenpox. Once the itchy spotty illness goes away, the virus doesn’t leave your body. It stays in your nerves but isn’t active. Later in life, it can return and infect specific body parts, like your eye. A shingles rash on the face can cause sores on your cornea. They usually heal by themselves, but antiviral medication and steroid eyedrops can ease inflammation.

This eye disease thins your cornea and changes its shape so it becomes cone shaped in the lower part. Keratoconus usually starts in your teens or 20s and generally worsens over time, finally becoming stable by the time you reach 40. The disease can also cause swelling, scars on your cornea and vision loss.

At first, glasses or soft contact lenses can solve the problem. As the disease goes on, you may need to wear rigid gas-permeable contact lenses. For people with early keratoconus, a procedure called corneal crosslinking can be performed. A small number of people with keratoconus will need a cornea transplant. There is more information about Keratoconus on the RNIB website.

In this RNIB video, Reena talks about her experience of keratoconus including the treatment she has had:

This viral infection creates sores on the cornea that can come back again and again. The main cause is herpes simplex virus I (HSV I), the same virus that leads to cold sores. It can also result from the sexually transmitted herpes simplex virus II (HSV II) that causes genital herpes. Over time, the inflammation can spread deeper into your cornea and eye. There’s no cure for ocular herpes but you can often control it with antiviral drugs or steroid eyedrops. There is more information about ocular herpes on the NHS website.

This is a benign (not harmful) growth of the white part of your eye over the cornea. The growth is often shaped like a wedge. It does not usually cause problems or require treatment, but it can be removed if it interferes with your vision.

Being exposed to a lot of sunlight is thought to be the main trigger for pterygium. Genetics may play an important part too as some people seem to be more at risk than others. There is more information about pterygium on the Fight for Sight website.