Cornea is the outermost part of our eyes. This is a transparent semi spherical tissue that acts as a structural barrier and protects the eye against foreign particles, outer impact and pathogenic infections. It also contributes to two-thirds of the refractive power to the eye which means that a damaged cornea can give you a blurry vision. In this article we will discuss about some of the common ailments related to cornea and how they are treated or prevented in the first place.
Allergies: Redness in the white of eyes or itching, tearing, a burning sensation, sensitivity to light and blurred vision are symptoms of allergy in your eyes. Millions of Indians deal with the condition also called allergic conjunctivitis. Though you can only see these allergies by seeing the whites of your eyes, but cornea also gets affected from these allergies at the surface level. Short term treatments and remedies include cold compressing the eyes and this can give you a quick fix. But for long lasting treatments, you need to know your triggers that cause this flare up. The only way to know is to see an ophthalmologist.
Injuries: Injuries received from blunt or sharp ended objects can inflict mild to serious damage to your eyes. The damage can specially happen to cornea as it is the structural barrier to the inner eyes. Prevention of injury is the paramount when it comes to maintain a healthy eye throughout one’s entire lifetime. But if injury happens then medical help should be taken as soon as possible just to preserve the vision.
Dry Eyes: If you have dry eyes then your eyes are constantly getting damaged because of the friction generated by the lids and the lack of surface lubrication. A extremely common condition that occurs when tears don’t get adequate production or they aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication. This tear instability leads to inflammation and damage the eyes in long run.
Astigmatism: Common cornea is semi spherical in shape but astigmatism makes it oval. This leads to blurred vision that can lead to aberration of visual acuity. But this can be treated with simple use of spectacles that have cylindrical power. All in all it is a treatable disease.
Corneal Dystrophies: A hereditary disorder that leads to deposition of substances in both the eyes and that too in the transparent front part of the eye. This leads to inevitable blindness but this can be treated with sophisticated techniques like Keratoplasty that involves the replacement of cornea.
Keratoconus: In this condition the spherical cornea takes the shape of the cone that results in loss of visual acuity. Though the underlying conditions are not known as environmental, immunogenic and other factors are equally related to this disease, but there are various treatments to pause this condition along with many other treatments for restoration of vision. Some of the treatments include Corneal Crosslinking, and Keratoplasty.
Cornea is an indispensable part of our eyes and we should take care of it. Repeated check-ups can detect any problem that is there in cornea. Quick treatment and follow-ups can mitigate most problems related to eyes and cornea.