Ophthalmic diseases are almost always difficult and cause concern. After all, the eyes are one of the most important sense organs. And their defeat can lead to loss of vision. Among all ophthalmic diseases, keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea, is very common. They can be caused by various reasons and without timely treatment lead to serious complications. The most common viral keratitis is caused by a viral infection. The disease mainly develops in children and adolescents, so it is very important to start treatment on time to save the child's vision.
Types of keratitis
The cornea of the eye is its transparent shell. Visual acuity depends on her condition. Therefore, a decrease in its transparency due to the inflammatory process often leads to a deterioration in visual perception. This condition is provoked by keratitis - diseases that affect the cornea. Most often they are infectious in nature: caused by bacteria, viruses, chlamydia, fungi or parasites.
There is also traumatic keratitis, in which inflammation develops due to a violation of the integritycornea. This can be caused by mechanical damage, exposure to chemicals, high temperature. And the last form of keratitis is allergic. It occurs with seasonal hay fever, rhinitis, or as a complication of drug-induced conjunctivitis.
Since the most common are lesions of the cornea of an infectious nature, it is necessary to know the difference between viral and bacterial keratitis. You can distinguish them by external signs. The bacterial form is most often caused by cocci or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It appears mainly after injuries or with chronic blepharoconjunctivitis. Its characteristic feature is the formation of an ulcer filled with pus.
Keratitis can develop as a complication in patients with tuberculosis, syphilis, while wearing contact lenses it can be caused by a microorganism such as acanthamoeba. Of the non-infectious forms, keratitis is common, caused by metabolic disorders, such as gout or diabetes, or developing as complications of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Viral keratitis
A photo of eyes affected by this disease shows that it has a rather severe course, and the risk of complications is high. This form of keratitis is caused by a viral infection. Most often it occurs with a common infectious disease. Viral keratitis mainly affects children and adolescents, as well as people with reduced immunity.
The virus gets on the cornea of the eye by airborne droplets or contact-household methods. Atyoung children are most often diagnosed with primary viral keratitis. It flows in an acute form. But the virus can be in the body in a latent form and, under certain circumstances, is activated. In this case, the disease is called secondary keratitis. This form is chronic and very difficult to treat.
There are several forms of viral keratitis: punctate, metaherpetic, dendritic, vesicular, discoid and others.
- The tree form is superficial keratitis. It is characterized by the appearance of small bubbles, which, after opening, leave patterns in the form of tree branches on the cornea.
- Metagerpetic keratitis is a severe lesion of the deep layers of the cornea. Deep infiltrates form, often affecting the vascular part of the eye.
- Discoid keratitis causes severe swelling. Then a rounded infiltrate develops. Sometimes with this form of the disease, clouding of the cornea and a decrease in visual acuity are observed.
Common viral keratitis
The most severe is the most common keratitis caused by herpes infection. Herpes is a filtering neurotropic virus. Most often, it enters the human body in childhood due to weak immunity. It is impossible to completely cure herpes, it periodically worsens under the influence of provoking factors. And one of the forms of its manifestation is viral keratitis.
There are quite a lot of herpes viruses, but some of them cause such diseases, the complication of whichkeratitis often develops. In addition to simple herpes, these are chickenpox and shingles.
There are several forms of this disease: primary keratitis occurs when infected with the herpes virus. Most often this happens in young children. The second form is post-primary keratitis, when the dormant virus is activated under the influence of provoking factors. In addition, herpetic keratitis can be superficial, when only the outer part of the cornea is affected, or deep, when the virus penetrates all layers of the membrane of the eye.
In addition to herpes viruses, keratitis can be caused by adenovirus. It also develops in common childhood illnesses such as influenza, SARS, mumps, measles, and rubella. Its most severe form is adenovirus epidemiological keratitis, which is spread by contact. A feature of all keratitis caused by adenoviruses is that they usually affect both eyes, proceed in an acute form, but disappear without a trace after recovery, without causing a decrease in visual acuity.
Reasons for appearance
Viral keratitis of the eye develops most often against the background of common viral diseases, as well as in the absence of treatment for conjunctivitis. Corneal damage can occur as a complication of influenza, SARS, chickenpox, mumps, measles, rubella, or shingles. But in order for the virus not only to get to the cornea, but also to take root there, causing inflammation, certain provoking factors are needed. These could be:
- hypothermia;
- decreased immunity;
- frequent stressful situations;
- mechanical damage to the cornea;
- avitaminosis;
- violation of metabolic processes;
- dry eye syndrome;
- wearing contact lenses.
Viral keratitis: symptoms
Clinical manifestations of such lesions of the cornea are quite characteristic and are perceived by patients hard. Viral keratitis usually affects one eye. All types of disease have approximately the same symptoms:
- reddens the mucous membrane of the eye;
- eyelids swell;
- eye is sensitive to light and touch;
- pain is felt, the patient feels like there is a foreign body in the eye;
- there is tearing and mucous discharge;
- cloudy cornea;
- transparent bubbles appear on its surface, which, after opening, leave behind sores;
- Visual acuity is declining.
Diagnosis of disease
When the first signs of damage to the cornea appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. An ophthalmologist can make a diagnosis based on external signs, but additional examination methods are still used. First of all, visual acuity and the boundaries of the visible space are examined. Necessarily carried out keratometry and biomicroscopy, determined by the sensitivity of the cornea. Informative fluorescein instillation test, which shows the boundaries of the affectedareas. In addition, blood tests are taken, which are checked for antibodies to viruses, as well as a PCR smear from the cornea.
Treatment of viral keratitis
If there are signs of damage to the cornea, you must contact a medical facility. Only a doctor will be able to determine the symptoms of viral keratitis, and prescribe the appropriate treatment. Such diseases are treated in a hospital setting. Therapy must be comprehensive. Its main tasks are: the destruction of the virus, the strengthening of the patient's immunity and the restoration of corneal tissue.
As an antiviral therapy, Acyclovir is used orally, drops of Interferon, oxolinic ointment or Zirgan gel. Gamma globulin injections may be used. To relieve local symptoms: edema, pain and inflammation, Analgin, Indomethacin, Atropine are prescribed. Be sure to use vitamin preparations and biogenic stimulants.
Physiotherapeutic procedures are also effective: electrophoresis, diathermy, diadynamic currents. For ulcers, cryoapplications or laser coagulation are used.
Surgical treatment may be recommended if conservative treatment is ineffective and if the cornea is extensively damaged. Scraping of affected tissues, penetrating keratoplasty, and in the most severe cases, corneal transplantation are done.
Prevention
If the treatment of viral keratitis of the eye is not startedon time, or the patient does not follow the recommendations of the doctor, serious complications are possible. In addition to reducing visual acuity, it can be blindness, glaucoma, cataracts, abscesses. Therefore, everything must be done to prevent the development of the disease. To prevent keratitis, you need to avoid injury to the eyes, take care of them and do not touch them with dirty hands. In addition, it is very important to treat all infectious diseases in time and strengthen the immune system.
