Bacterial Keratitis: Prevention and Treatment

Bacterial keratitis can be a serious concern for contact lens wearers. Here’s why.

Bacterial Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped outer layer of your eye. This disease is mainly caused by wearing contact lenses improperly or for too long, can develop quickly and must be treated immediately, as it can possibly lead to blindness.

Keep reading to learn more, and call your doctor right away if you have these symptoms:

• Sudden pain in the eye
• Unusual eye redness
• Reduced vision
• Unusual light sensitivity
• Excessive tearing
• Discharge from the eye

Treatment for this disorder must start right away in order to prevent vision loss, and most likely will involve antibiotic drops. It requires several trips to your vision care provider to treat, but usually vision can be preserved if treated promptly. It can be treated by both ophthalmologists and optometrists, with more serious cases managed by a cornea specialist.

A good way to prevent this disease in contact lens wearers is to avoid wearing your lenses longer than the doctor recommends. The two bacteria most commonly responsible for bacterial keratitis are staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas aeruginosa, and they get in the eye because the cornea has broken down due to improper lens wear. Never sleep in your contact lenses, and clean them daily. If you are at an increased risk for this disorder, daily wear contacts might be a good choice for you.

If you think you might have bacterial keratitis, call your doctor right away. If you need to make an appointment with Sterling Vision, our number is 866-439-3588. You can also make an appointment online.