Types of Viral Eye Infections

Viral infections in the eye may cause your eyes to feel unpleasant, and some infections may lead to blurry vision. Depending on the area and type of infection, your eye doctor might not have a medication to treat your eye infection. In most cases, the doctor will offer you a drop to decrease pain from your symptoms. Understanding the various types of viral eye infections may assist you prevent the infection or find symptoms early.

What Are the Types of Viral Eye Infections?

Viral Conjunctivitis

The conjunctiva is the clear tissue that covers the white of your eye and lines the underside of your eyelids, and a virus may cause an infection in this tissue. The infection, called viral conjunctivitis or “pink eye,” will cause the white of the eye to appear red. The infection will frequently cause itching, inflammation and discharge from the eye. You might have swollen eyelids and experience light sensitivity.

Viral conjunctivitis typically arises from the cold, and the eye infection quickly spreads from a single person to another. You need to always avoid touching your eyes, and this might help avoid the eye infection. An optometrist will not usually recommend eye drops to treat viral conjunctivitis, and may advise enabling the infection to deal with on its own. In severe cases, the doctor might prescribe a steroid eye drop to assist alleviate symptoms.

Ocular Herpes

The herpes simplex virus, widely known for causing cold sores on the face, can likewise cause a viral eye infection. In most cases of ocular herpes, the virus will contaminate the cornea, the clear front window of your eye. This will generally lead to inflammation, discomfort, light sensitivity and vision modifications. If the infection occurs deep in the layers of the cornea, you might have scarring, and this could cause long-term damage to your vision.

Physicians have restricted treatment options for this type of viral infection. She might recommend an antiviral eye drop if the infection remains in the top layers of your cornea. If the infection runs deep in the cornea, your eye doctor might prescribe steroid eye drops to lower the amount of inflammation in the cornea, which may also lower the scarring to your cornea. Prolonged swelling and severe scarring might result in a corneal transplant.

Corneal Ulcer

An open injury on your cornea, called a corneal ulcer, may arise from an infection or from an issue from ocular herpes. The open injury may also come from an injury to your eye, and an infection could infect the ulcer. Symptoms include pain, inflammation, light level of sensitivity and extreme tearing. If you search in a mirror, you might see a white, foggy area on the cornea, and this might indicate an ulcer.

Your optometrist will normally prescribe an eye drop to assist treat the cause of the ulcer. For comfort, she may also recommend that you use an unique contact lens, called a bandage lens, to cover the open ulcer. This may lower discomfort and aid in healing.

Eye Virus List: Infections That Can Cause Conjunctivitis or Keratitis (Swelling of the Cornea)

• the STIs syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes simplex, and hepatitis B.
• tuberculosis.
• leprosy.
• Lyme disease.
• acanthamoeba – a typical parasite.
• crab lice – these small animals can live and breed in your eyelashes and are invisible to the naked eye.
• Epstein-Barr infection or transmittable mononucleosis.
• mumps, measles, influenza, or shingles.
• onchocerciasis (river blindness).
• sarcoidosis – the cause of this condition is not clear, however it might be because of an infection.
• mycosis (basic name for fungal infections) – Candida, the fungus that causes thrush, is among more than 60 types of fungus that can contaminate the eye.

What About Herpes Virus in Eye?

One of the infections that cause herpetic eye disease is called the varicella-zoster virus. It is the same infection that causes chickenpox and shingles. When this infection affects the eye, it is called herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

The other infection that triggers herpetic eye disease is called herpes simplex type 1. Herpes simplex type 1 is the very same infection that triggers fever blisters on the lips and mouth. In the eye, it usually triggers an infection of the cornea. This infection is called herpes simplex keratitis.